Wandering Eyes

Quality filly Sethito produced a timely and satisfying victory for Waikato Stud when she impressively bridged the gap to black type company at Ellerslie. Bred and raced by Garry Chittick, the three-year-old daughter of resident sire Super Seth added significant performance to her illustrious pedigree when she romped home in Saturday’s Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m). The addition of blinkers by trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott had the desired result outcome at her previous start at Taupo where she was a runaway maiden winner and the chestnut followed up in style at northern headquarters. Sethito’s success also boosted the profile of her half-brother by Savabeel, who will be sold by the Matamata nursery during the Book 1 session of the upcoming New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale. “It was obviously a fantastic result on every level and extremely satisfying for (father) Garry, he owns her and paid a fair bit of money for the mare,” Mark Chittick said. “We all paid a fair bit for Super Seth and when you make these investments you have a few challenges on the way through, which we’ve had. “To see her win like that was just great and absolutely brilliant for Garry, he’s been in the game pretty much his whole life. “It’s great for him in these latter years to have a filly that looks a top-level racehorse, it certainly put a big smile on his face.” Sethito is a daughter of the Thorn Park mare Suavito, who won on eight occasions including the Gr.1 Orr Stakes (1400m) and the Gr.1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) from Nigel Blackiston’s stable and was subsequently a private purchase. “I was trying to recall how it came about and I’m pretty sure Nigel rang me out of the blue and said she was going to be sold, Garry walked in the office and I told him and it went from there,” Chittick said. The farm sold Sethito’s brother last year for $325,000 to John O’Shea Racing and James Bester Bloodstock and have remained in the ownership group of the two-year-old named Stratford. The younger half-brother by multiple champion sire Savabeel will be offered at Karaka next month as Lot 337. “To be honest, we’ve had a good type out of the mare and a not so good type, but like Sethito, he’s definitely one of the better ones,” Chittick said. “She went back to Super Seth this year and went in foal early but unfortunately lost the pregnancy, and we tested her last week and she’s back in foal to him.” A Group One-winning son of Dundeel, Super Seth has produced a quartet of stakes winners including Linebacker who won last season’s Gr.2 Baillieu Handicap (1400m) and finished runner-up in the Gr.1 Champagne Stakes (1600m). Sethito, Poetic Champion and Super Photon are other black-type success stories while two-time winner Feroce was second in the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m). “Super Seth had another good winner (Bollon) in Australia on Sunday and we couldn’t be happier how he’s travelling along, he’s 8.3 per cent stakes winners to runners which is just massive,” Chittick said. View the full article

New Zealand has been synonymous with producing quality middle-distance and staying thoroughbreds, but now it can lay claim to the best sprinter on the planet after Ka Ying Rising took out the Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. The Kiwi-bred gelding has been a dominant force since making his debut in Hong Kong in December last year, posting eight wins from his 10 prior starts, including three at Group level, and he was duly backed into $1.10 favouritism for Sunday’s sprint feature. However, things didn’t go to script for the son of Windsor Park Stud stallion Shamexpress, who was slow away and jockey Zac Purton had to get busy on the four-year-old early to make up the deficit, urging him forward to sit outside California Spangle. He was quickly met on the outside by Victor The Winner, who continued to apply pressure throughout, but Purton kept a cool head and sat quietly on Ka Ying Rising until the 300m mark where he asked his charge for his best, and he quickly responded. The David Hayes-trained gelding put several lengths on his rivals in a few bounds, but the pressure from the middle stages began to tell and Helios Express and Satono Reve began to close late. However, Ka Ying Rising was able to call on his brilliance to hold on for a half-length victory, much to the delight of his adoring Hong Kong fans. While they were in full voice as Ka Ying Rising thundered down the Sha Tin straight, back in Marton, New Zealand, his breeder Fraser Auret was also at full volume when cheering him home. Group One success is nothing new to Auret, who has posted multiple elite-level victories as a trainer, but he was over the moon to add Group One-winning breeder to his name on Sunday. “It was a massive thrill,” he said. “It is just one of those joys and it has been a fairytale.” That fairytale began five years ago when Auret decided to head into the breeding game and he struck gold at this first attempt, resulting in the now Group One sprinting sensation. Fresh off the victory, Auret said winning a Group One as breeder gave him the same rush as his Group One victories as a trainer. “It gives you the same euphoria,” he said. “It was the same sort of pride there as when we trained our first Group One winner. “At that elite-level, we all know how hard it is to get there and the journey that is involved. “It seems like it was just the other day that we turned up in the truck at Windsor Park to pick him up as a foal. It has been really fantastic all the way through.” While proud of producing the world’s best sprinter, the ever-humble Auret said he is delighted to continue New Zealand’s proud breeding record on the global stage and help change the narrative that it can also produce world-class sprinters. “We (New Zealand) have always punched well above our weight in terms of results, and we haven’t necessarily been looked at as producers of top sprinters, but there you go,” he said. Auret is also hoping Ka Ying Rising’s success can entice more Kiwis to enter the thoroughbred breeding industry and help bolster the foal crop. “Our foal crop has dwindled a fair bit in recent years here in New Zealand. I just hope that this is a good advertisement (to breed),” he said. “With the smaller foal crop, I think it is actually a wonderful time for anyone to get involved in our industry.” Ka Ying Rising was raised and educated at Auret’s Marton property, and he is proud that a product of provincial New Zealand has made it to the peak of world racing. “From Marton to the big smoke, it is really that pinch yourself moment,” he said. Ka Ying Rising left a strong impression on Auret from the moment he laid eyes on him as a foal when picking him up from Windsor Park Stud, near Cambridge, with his family, and their initial impression of the horse has now come to fruition. “We still laugh with the kids because the day that we went to pick him up he was running around the paddock like a mad thing and our middle son, Oscar, said ‘Dad, we better call him Rocket because he is running around the paddock so fast’. As it turns out, he really is a rocket,” Auret said. While Auret lost Ka Ying Rising’s dam Missy Moo a couple of seasons ago, he still has plenty to look forward to with her only other progeny, Ka Ying Glory, who is making an early impression on trainer David Hayes in Hong Kong. “He (Ka Ying Glory) was a magnificent horse, and it is such a shame that we lost the mare so early in the piece,” he said. “In saying that, I have always said that horse welfare is first and foremost and as she got more and more pregnant with Ka Ying Glory, she was getting lamer and lamer with the arthritis that she had in her back leg (and ultimately had to be euthanised). “Obviously, he (Ka Ying Glory) has got big shoes to fill but he will certainly leave his mark because he never put a foot wrong and showed a tremendous amount of ability as well.” The son of Letham Stud principals Nigel and Adaire Auret, thoroughbred breeding was a focal point of Auret’s formative years, and while he elected to go down the training path, he said he has now well and truly caught the breeding bug, and his broodmare band has quickly grown. “I have watched Mum and Dad be quite successful in the breeding arena over a 40-year span. One of their earlier bred horses (Pompeii Pearl) went on to win a Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, so I have certainly seen the better side of breeding,” he said. “It (breeding) is a long timeframe and investment before you know what you have got. In saying that, it is safe to say that I am being converted pretty quickly. “We have got five mares that have gone to stud this year, so we have certainly gone on from the one mare we started with.” Auret is hoping Ka Ying Rising can continue on his upward trajectory and quickly add to his elite-level tally, with his trainer David Hayes now eyeing the Gr.1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) at Sha Tin next month before possibly looking to extend his charge over a mile. “We will see how he pulls up, but the initial one (target) will be the Group One sprint in late January, six weeks between runs, and after that we will make the decision on whether we go for the mile or not,” Hayes said. View the full article

Fresh off receiving the LONGINES World’s Best Jockey Award at a special ceremony on Friday night, expat Kiwi hoop James McDonald etched his name in the record books at Sha Tin on Sunday when he partnered local hero Romantic Warrior to their third successive triumph in the Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m). McDonald had his eye in at the renowned Hong Kong International Races meeting, having ridden Voyage Bubble to victory in the Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) in the race prior, and he was intent on repeating the dose on Romantic Warrior. The Danny Shum-trained six-year-old jumped away well from the ace barrier and McDonald was able to hold their advantage on the fence before handing up to Wingspan, but he quickly navigated his charge into the coveted one-one position where Romantic Warrior enjoyed an economical trip. The son of Acclamation loomed ominously three-wide at the turn and entered a duel with Tastiera, but he dispatched his rival with 150m to go and ran out a comfortable 1-1/2 length victor over a fast-finishing Liberty Island, giving McDonald the opportunity to stand in his irons as they crossed the line to salute the historic victory. McDonald was understandably ecstatic to end his memorable week in the best possible fashion. “That was unbelievable, I’m so proud of this horse,” he said. “He’s just been remarkable and it’s some effort by Danny (Shum) and his team. “The Japanese (horses) put it to him but with no luck. He’s the best, forget the rest, he’s the best. “He’s been flying, and anyone could ride him because he’s that easy, but I’m the lucky one. He’s the horse of a lifetime.” A proud New Zealander, McDonald likened Sunday’s result to a pressure moment for his national rugby team. “This was our moment to create history, and it felt like I was lining up for the winning kick for the All Blacks. It was a pinch me moment,” he said. Further international targets now await Romantic Warrior, who won the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) in Melbourne in 2023 and the Gr.1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) in Tokyo earlier this year, with trainer Danny Shum eyeing the US$20 million Gr.1 Saudi Cup (1800m) in Saudi Arabia in February, where he believes he has some unfinished business in that part of the world. “He’s the best, but I have to take another bigger challenge to go to Dubai and Saudi Arabia, just because I haven’t been to Dubai for 25 years,” Shum said. “At that time, I was assistant trainer for Mr Ivan Allan, I had a new experience. I will make sure the team that go there are in the best form. “The owner, Mr Peter Lau, said it’s a once in a life chance to take the challenge in Saudi Arabia for the top prizemoney in the world. We are experimenting with dirt, but I’ve tried him in an all-weather trial with a pacifier and he was quite good.” McDonald, who is currently undertaking a short-term riding contract in Hong Kong, has been in a reflective mood following a memorable week and said he is grateful for all the support he continues to receive from his homeland. “I know for a fact that we are so well loved in the racing community over there (New Zealand) and we have so much support, which I am extremely grateful for,” McDonald told Trackside. “I can’t do it without where I started, and that is from a 10-year-old boy riding around a Kaipaki track, it is pretty crazy. I thank everyone that has been a part of my journey.” View the full article

The Pegasus World Cup (G1) may be next for the 4 -year-old son of Gun Runner, with the Saudi Cup (G1) and Dubai World Cup (G1) also on the radar. View the full article

Leading American owner Mike Repole opened up about his long-term breeding plan after sourcing six fillies and mares for just shy of €2 million at the December Breeding Stock Sale at Arqana, headed by the Sunday sale-topper Hoshiana (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) at €220,000. Fourth in a Listed contest on heavy ground when last seen, Hoshiana is out of Doctor Dino (Fr) mare Galtika Coat Frity (Fr) and was knocked down to bloodstock agent Alex Solis on behalf of Repole. She was sold by trainer Nicolas Perret. Speaking from America, the owner said, “The team was represented in France by Alex and Madison [Scott] and honestly Ed Rosen and Jake West and I were working very closely, starting at four in the morning and ending at noon and really it was just about potential broodmares down the road. But we bought five horses that we planned on giving at least a year-maybe two-of racing, then we'll decide if they fit our programme as broodmares. “I think as the industry is evolving here. Ed is our pedigree expert but he does so much more for the stable and we're looking at what this game is going to look like two, three years from now. Will there be more synthetic, like New York, or more emphasis on turf racing, like with Kentucky Downs?” Repole also spent €610,000 on Listed-winning Churchill (Ire) mare Some Skye (Fr) and €450,000 on Wild Pansy (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) for €450,000 on Saturday. His exact spend at Arqana this weekend stands at €1,960,000. He continued, “We need to open up our breeding programme and our pedigrees. I'm excited about purchasing in Australia, Japan, England, at Goffs in Ireland and at Arqana in France and mixing those bloodlines with US sires. How many times has an Uncle Mo, an Into Mischief gone to a Siyouni (Fr) mare, or a Deep Impact (Jpn) mare? It probably has never been done. I have my own stallions, a piece of City Of Light, Fierceness in two years, Uncle Mo, 10 per cent of Life Is Good, and I'm trying to use some of these bloodlines as outcrosses with some of the others around the world. I don't know if they're going to dirt or turf or be synthetic horses, but I'm trying to put some of the most global bloodlines together. “I'm not going to be dirt-to-dirt or turf-to-turf. When you see a horse like Forte going to be bred to an English, Japanese, or a US mare, it's thanks to the team being willing to spend my money. We'll sell some, we'll keep some. Right now, we have close to 100 broodmares, but I'm excited about this experiment. I think it's really exciting.” Similarly to Saturday, the key figures on Sunday were on the rise. The aggregate climbed 12% to €9,213,500 while the average was up by 21% to €47,249 and the median jumped by €5,000 to €35,000. The clearance rate dropped by 2% to 81%. Willie Carson | Zuzanna Lupa Carson Secures Sentimental Buy At 200k Legendary rider Willie Carson, who now operates from Minster Stud, provided some entertainment when signing for Frankel (GB) mare Kensington (Ire) in foal to Pinatubo (Ire) for €200,000 through Crispin de Moubray. Offered by Barton Stud, Kensington won twice for John and Thady Gosden for Lady Ogden and hails from a deep Ballymacoll Stud family. Carson, who was sporting a Donald Duck hat, admitted to being quacking mad for the family given he has a long association with some of the horses connected with the mare. He said, “It's a family that I rode a lot of the horses from. There's a little bit of sentiment involved.” Asked which members of the family in particular Carson would have rode, he said, “All of them! Hellenic (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) was my 100th Group 1 winner when she won the Yorkshire Oaks. There's a bit of a story there. Then you go back to Prince Of Dance (GB) (Sadler's Wells), who's actually not on the page, but he was one of the best horses that I ever rode. He was actually better than Nashwan but he got a cancerous growth on his spine [and never fulfilled his potential]. It's a Ballymacoll family through and through.” The pedigree has benefited from a recent update with the half-sister Rogue Sensation(GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), already a winner, placed at Listed level in France for trainer Ed Bethell. Carson concluded, “I will have to get on to Dawn [Laidlaw, Head of Nominations at Darley] to get a nomination to Too Darn Hot!” Talking points One of the standout memories from the foal sales at Tattersalls last week was glancing down to the bidders area as the last few lots were being offered on Saturday and seeing Tally-Ho Stud boss Tony O'Callaghan bidding strong while most of his competitors had either gone home or retired to the bar. It was left to Henry to keep the momentum going in France, with the quiet but ultra-shrewd son of Tony signing for two lots to the tune of €212,000. That duo was headed by a New Bay (GB) colt foal from Etreham for €140,000. France has been a happy hunting ground for British and Irish pinhookers in recent years and, while the foal offering would not rival that of Goffs or Tattersalls in terms of numbers, it was interesting to see a number of leading operators within that sphere getting on the score sheet. Michael Gleeson of Aughamore Stud was one such pinhooker. Through bloodstock agent Matt Houldsworth, Aughamore Stud picked up a Havana Grey (GB) colt from Baroda Stud for €105,000. The trip represented a first trip to Arqana in nine years for Gleeson, who spent time on the shank working for Anna Sundstrom at Coulonces once upon a time. Nobody would deny that some of the gloss went off Ghaiyyath (GB) at the yearling sales but it's remarkable that, within the space of a few weeks, the Darley-based stallion seems to be back in demand. And it's easy to see why. Nobody was expecting the multiple Group 1 winner to be responsible for any Royal Ascot-winning juveniles and recent TDN Rising Star winner Mandanaba (Fr) would suggest that the best from Ghaiyyath's first crop will be seen when those horses run at three. Buyers certainly seem to agree as, of all of the first-season sires, the Ghaiyyath foals seemed to sell quite well and that continued at Arqana on Sunday when Broadhurst Agency went to €130,000 to secure a filly by the sire from La Motteraye. Buy of the day Luke Bleahan followed a tried and trusted path to pinhooking success when snapping up lot 346, a colt by hot sire Hello Youmzain (Fr), who the youngster has enjoyed some success with already. It was at this sale 12 months ago when Bleahan picked up a Hello Youmzain colt foal for just €10,000. Obviously taking a chance that the first-season sire would hit the ground running with his two-year-olds, the young pinhooker was rewarded when that initial outlay turned into €75,000, with breeze-up handler Cormac Farrell signing the docket at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale. Given Hello Youmzain is on course to be crowned the leading first-season sire in France and has produced two Group winners, the case can be made for the Haras d'Etreham-based sire kicking onto the next level, which would be reflected in his fee being bumped to €40,000. Having a son of Hello Youmzain to sell at the yearling sales next year may prove to be a wise decision and the €60,000 that Bleahan parted with to secure the colt out of Listed winner Eyeful (GB) (Muhtathir {GB}) could prove money well spent. Thought for the day You never know what nuggets you might pick up when passing an hour or two in the sales bar on a quieter day like Sunday. Eddie O'Leary being cast in Braveheart has to rank as one of the most surprising titbits to have come out of the sale season. Granted, O'Leary was only an extra in the movie that starred Mel Gibson, but the Lynn Lodge maestro confirmed his involvement by simply shrugging and saying, “sure, I'd do anything for a few quid!” The post Repole Steals Sunday Spotlight At Arqana To Take Overall Haul To Nearly €2 Million appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

SVREL which organized the Dec. 7 Mouttet Mile in Kingston, Jamaica, wants to revitalize the sport in the country. View the full article

By Jonny Turner Craig Ferguson continued his spectacular run of form when winning both the Forbury Park pacing and trotting cups at Wingatui on Sunday. Ferguson produced Nutcracker for a most professional victory in the Kia Ora Campers Pacing Cup before Moment Of What continued his outstanding progression with his trotting cup victory in the Icon Interior Construction Trotting Cup. Just two days prior, the reinsman clinched the biggest win of his driving career when taking out the Group 1 New Zealand Derby at Addington with We Walk By Faith. Moment Of What came into his grass track assignment with a record of three starts on turf for three out-of-the-money efforts. Those outings were early in the horse’s career and his result yesterday demonstrates the progress he has made under trainer Amber Hoffman. “His first two starts were on the grass and he came away bucking each time, but he has come a long way since then,” Hoffman said. “He only started racing in February and he hasn’t had a decent break yet, so he should definitely keep getting better.” “We have just kept him ticking along right through and given him a few wee breaks along the way.” “There is definitely a good motor there and he is a pretty sound horse which should help him.” “Craig said he trotted really well today.” “It was a great drive from him too, he has been on fire lately.” Moment Of What is raced by a Southland-Otago-Canterbury trio of Betty Lee, Rob Williams and Brent Smith. Lee bred Moment Of What with the late Brian Church, who she raced the trotter’s six-race winning dam Moment Of Sun with. Moment Of What is from the family of champion trotters Take A Moment and Stig. Nutcracker showed she’s only getting tougher with age when she ran to a front-running victory in the Forbury Park Pacing Cup. The mare is known for her sharp turn of foot, but it was her stamina that was called upon at the end of an exciting homestraight battle with runner-up Hacksaw Ridge. Nutcracker made an excellent beginning before working to the front for Ferguson. When a wave of attackers came before the home turn, the trainer-driver elected to hold the lead and Nutcracker rallied strongly to score. The victory was the five-year-old’s seventh career win for Southland breeder-owners Paul and Brendan Duffy. View the full article

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Romantic Warrior leads Hong Kong forces as they win three of the four group 1 races on International Races day at Sha Tin.View the full article

Horse racing is a sport genetically programmed in high emotion. It's hardly surprising then that the vet scratch-the ultimate sucker-punch after weeks and months of best laid plans-should prove such a test of nerves. The problem is, diagnosing subtle lameness can be such a subjective venture. And where there's uncertainty, doubt can quickly escalate to condemnation. A recent TDN compendium of data collected from around the country, however, shows that scratched horses run a much higher than average risk of harboring an injury. Numbers from California, Florida, New York, Kentucky and Washington State tell a similar tale: That horses scratched on race-day for unsoundness are notably more likely to face extended periods of time off than non-scratched horses. They typically take longer to get back on the work tab and the track of an afternoon. A significant number simply never make it back to competition. Among those that crunched the numbers, a common refrain is affirmation. Among the trainers interviewed here, a sense perhaps of inevitability. “If in fact the numbers they're reporting are true-which I assume they are-then what they're doing is helping,” said Dubai World Cup winning trainer, Mike Stidham. Overall Reactions to the Numbers “These were horses that, but for the regulatory scrutiny, would have participated in a race,' said Jennifer Durenberger, who was a New York Racing Association (NYRA) steward when she ran 2018 numbers from the state and subsequently presented them at an OwnerView conference. From that 2018 New York data, 18% of the 125 horses scratched during the morning exam never raced again, while 16% of the race-day afternoon scratches failed to compete again. “The question is: Would they have competed well, to the best of their ability? Or would they have perhaps aggravated something minor and made it become something major? I think the quality of life for these racehorses is improved by that regulatory scrutiny,” Durenberger added. Dionne Benson crunched five years of data for Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park. She used the Equine Injury Database to screen for horses that were scratched for lameness the day of the race only, and found that between 26% and 29% of these horses never raced again. For every horse scratched, Benson randomly selected a horse that made a start in the intended race as a means of comparison. Among this group, 4% and 5% never made a return to competition. While intervention by official veterinarians will never be a perfect system, “if you were a major league batter, you'd take 50 percent. And I know that sounds flippant, but this is a hard job where you often have seconds to make a decision. And by and large, the vets are making the correct decision,” Benson said. “I feel like our state veterinarians are doing a great job at identifying the at-risk horse, and the return to racing, return to high-speed work data I think supports that,” said Will Farmer, Churchill Downs equine medical director, who used the Equine Injury Database to screen for the same scratched horses as Benson. At Churchill Downs, 32% of scratched horses never raced again, while 11% never worked again. The same stats for Turfway Park were 39% and 19%. For Ellis Park, they were 49% and 21% respectively. Behind the overarching numbers, however, there are all sorts of ways to slice and dice the numbers to get a much more detailed picture of what's happening. Synthetic surfaces are one clear reason that may affect a horse's return to racing, Farmer said. “Certainly, the data supports it being an overall safer racetrack.” Time of year can also skew the numbers. And so, how does the age of the horse factor? “Based on time of year, are we seeing more 2-year-olds [scratched] in the fall? These are the late 2-year-olds that are maybe getting pushed harder to get a start in. Are the 2-year-old scratches higher in the spring, when they're trying to get them up and going? I think there's a really good research project there,” said Farmer. “I guess I'm still stunned by the attrition rate,” said Mary Scollay, who was equine medical director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission when she ran 10 years of vet scratch data (2000 to 2010) from Calder and Gulfstream Park. Coady Media From those numbers, Scollay found that 21.5% of the horses scratched for lameness on race-day never raced again. Scollay also tracked a group of horses from each race the scratched horse was omitted from and found that only 2.9% of these horses never raced again. The landscape in which official veterinarians operate has evolved markedly since the years captured in Scollay's research project. “There was a time when many examining veterinarians were employed by the racetracks alone,” said Scollay, who recalled an incident at a prominent Florida track many years ago, when she had scratched from a race the outright favorite. “The president of the racetrack just casually stopped by the starting gate to let me know how much money I'd cost the racetrack,” she said. “I think most people who grew up in my era experienced such conversations.” Still, as George Mundy, interim equine medical director of the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation, sees it, “Thoroughbred racing safety protocols are currently in their infancy.” Mundy added that his “best analogy” is TSA screening. “Post 9/11, the TSA was created, and the air travel process changed forever. The TSA has implemented and refined, and in some cases eliminated, screening processes and procedures over time continuing to ensure and enhance the safety of air travel.” Indeed, prior to the advent of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA), there were tracks that didn't even perform pre-race exams. Furthermore, regulatory veterinarians are, if not exactly a rare species, highly sought after. While some tracks are well-served, others rip their hair out trying to find the personnel to cover even the most basic regulatory requirements. The thoroughness of race-day veterinary oversight, therefore, remains something a patchwork quilt nationwide. What's to be done? As to what can be done better right now in horse racing, Mundy sees as the “low hanging fruit” the overtly lame or the “not training just right” horse. Catastrophic fractures aren't events that suddenly materialize overnight. Bone pathology is a progressive process that takes place over a matter of weeks, maybe months. It begins with tiny little micro-fractures in the bone that gradually grow under the cycle of daily training until something gives-unless someone intervenes first. The problem is, this oftentimes very subtle bone remodeling process can be tough to identify clinically. On occasion, fresh perspective may identify those subtleties which may otherwise seem to be the norm. This dynamic is similar in effect to the parent of a toddler undergoing a growth spurt-it takes a visit from a distant grandparent to spot the difference in height. Which is why Mundy is a proponent of maintaining a veterinary presence trackside during morning training-something several tracks and jurisdictions already do. “Regulatory veterinary presence during training, in the short-term, while not making the system more efficient, would definitely have the most effect,” he said. Again, however, tracks across the country are already struggling to recruit knowledgeable and experienced regulatory veterinarians to their ranks, said Farmer. “While it would be great if everybody had four veterinarians for every racetrack available to watch horses, and be competent racetrack-based veterinarians, the reality is, from a financial and labor standpoint, most racetracks and jurisdictions aren't able to accomplish that,” he said. Which is why Farmer sees advanced diagnostic technologies-like PET, MRI and CT units-as a key aid for the regulatory vet. These technologies have proven significantly more adept at diagnosing brewing issues in problem areas like the fetlock and the condyles much earlier than more traditional imaging tools (think X-rays and nuclear scintigraphy). “We can certainly feel confident that when those areas light up on a PET scan that that's significant,” said Farmer. That said, these machines aren't designed to be a screening tool for lameness, but rather something to be deployed in conjunction with a clinical exam. For one, there are all sorts of factors-including the age of the horse, training style and its history-that might affect what shows up on the scan. Benoit Photo Which is why SoCal-based veterinarian Ryan Carpenter explained to the TDN in October that veterinarians would be best served by a historical record of scans for the same horse. “Sequential imaging is extremely important because obviously [with one lone scan], you're just getting a snapshot in time. If you had the ability to monitor or track changes, then I think you would be able to make more accurate diagnoses,” said Carpenter. Furthermore, PET and MRI units aren't cheap. It takes between 45 minutes to an hour to scan both fetlocks with MRI. The radioactive isotope used in PET can also prove hard to get. And as Farmer puts it, “the hard part is the accessibility of it.” So, how best to marshal the industry's already limited resources? “The resources are better spent giving the trainers, giving the attending veterinarians, giving the exercise riders the tools to recognize subtle changes before they would become apparent to a regulatory veterinarian stationed at the track,” said Durenberger, who now heads HISA's equine safety and welfare arm. “This is the wearable technologies, right?” she added. “You allow everyone in that horse's care to have a better picture of what's going on with that horse.” Technologies like StrideSafe promise to identify subtle lameness at high speeds-issues all but undetectable to the rider and the trainer watching. Other biometric sensor technologies like Arioneo can also monitor the horse's heart rate-a useful tool as researchers seek to better understand the causes of sudden cardiac death in racehorses. “You have to rely on the people who know the horse better to make better decisions,” agreed Scollay. “If the only time they're making the right decision is when the regulatory vet is breathing down their neck, we really haven't accomplished much.” The Frontlines In the days after an initial chat with the TDN, Eoin Harty, president of the California Thoroughbred Trainers, reached out to the StrideSafe team, and was impressed with what it offers, he said. “I'm all in favor of it,” he said, adding that while the product is not a catch-all for lameness, it'll likely prove another valuable layer of diagnostic information. “Am I going to base all my decisions on it? No,” Harty said. “But it's going to be a very useful tool going forward. If I can advise anybody, I'd say at least take a look at it, and avail yourself of what's available to help your decision making.” As for the current system with which regulatory veterinarians are deployed, Harty suspects that in some jurisdictions, there might be some bureaucratic overkill. But overall, the system works as intended. “We [in California] were and we are the guinea pigs, simply because of what happened back in 2019,” said Eoin Harty, alluding to the widely publicized spate of fatalities at Santa Anita. “I think since then, we've gone to a little bit of overkill compared to other jurisdictions. Some of it is a bit unnecessary.” However, “the more eyes the better,” Harty added. “I wouldn't do away with a lot of the stuff that's been initiated. The pre-work, pre-race checks with the trainer or assistant and their veterinarian, I think that might be the biggest game changer to date. That, and the [tighter] intra-articular joint injection rules.” In situations where a questionable scratch is hotly contested, Harty suggested bringing in additional expertise. “If you've got a trainer who's adamant that this horse is 100 percent sound, and a regulatory vet who says, 'I see something else,' I think maybe you should bring another vet or two in for a tie-breaker,” he said. That said, the fiery confrontations that regulatory veterinarians unfortunately face too often are as much a losing move on the part of the trainer as they are a dirty blot on the profession, said Harty. “Some people are on the wrong side of the regulatory vets, and whether it's real or perceived, they see themselves as victims all the time,” said Harty. “And once you make their radar, it's really hard to get off it. You're probably better off kicking the horse out sixty, ninety days.” Stidham sung a similar song. “In my opinion, this situation was created in part by the horsemen,” he said. “The large majority of horsemen do an excellent job of policing and overseeing and doing their due diligence of monitoring their horses. This means getting rider feedback. Having horses on a jog list every day-a list of horses that have worked. Horses that you might have got a bad report back from the rider. I've always done this in my barn, even before HISA started,” Stidham said. “But then, you've got the guys that don't necessarily do the due diligence of overseeing their horses, bury their heads in the sand,” Stidham said. “They're hoping there is no problem. And, for that reason, you get a certain amount of horses that do need to be checked by the vets. And these guys do need to be told, 'hey, this horse isn't fit to race.'” Yes, some horses simply have a peculiar way of going that might not necessarily betray a simmering bone issue, he said. “That is a problem. But I don't see a way of getting around that,” said Stidham, who encouraged patience and common sense on both sides of the equation. “I've had situations where a vet would come by and question a horse. But they would give me an opportunity-if it's maybe a foot or something-for it to be corrected. I could get the blacksmith over, make a little adjustment that could help the horse, and they would come back a couple hours later, recheck the horse,” said Stidham. “But look, in most of the cases, these horses might be a degree of lameness off,” he said. “And if they are, they probably just need to be scratched.” The post Vet Scratch Date: “I Guess I’m Still Stunned by the Attrition Rate” appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

You'd think the nine-furlong GII Remsen S. might be a good measuring stick for GI Kentucky Derby potential because it's the only top-level, 1 1/8-miles American dirt race for juveniles before they turn three. But only three horses in the last 61 years-Thunder Gulch, Go For Gin and Pleasant Colony-have parlayed wins in the Remsen into a blanket of roses at Churchill Downs. Instead, in recent runnings, the Remsen has evolved into a pipeline for progress deeper into the 3-year-old season. Remsen winners have captured two of the last three editions of the GI Belmont S. (Dornoch, 2024; Mo Donegal, 2022), plus the 2018 GI Travers S. (Catholic Boy). And the 2023 Remsen runner-up, 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), beaten only a nose in the 2024 Derby, later won the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Saturday's renewal was a “saved by the wire” squeaker of a score by the Godolphin homebred Poster (Munnings), who rallied from last and pounced four wide off Aqueduct's far turn to collar dueling pacemakers, only to disengage mentally mid-stretch once he thought his job was complete. The colt responded to Flavien Prat's urgent, deep-stretch rousing to belatedly meet the challenge of the onrushing Aviator Gui (Uncle Mo), who had dead aim and was closing the gap. Poster managed to win the nose-bob at the wire–but not beyond it. The Eoin Harty trainee went off as the fourth choice in the betting at 4.8-1. Poster is now undefeated in three starts after winning a pair of mile maiden and allowance turfers at Ellis Park and Keeneland. The colt is out of the winning Tapit mare Pin Up, who is a half-sister to the 2006 3-year-old champ Bernardini-a pedigree perk that will embolden arguments favoring Poster's Classic-distance chances on dirt. Poster closed into quarter-mile splits of :23.95, :24.64, :24.73 and :24.45, sparking back to life after stalling at the start of a final furlong that was timed in a respectable :12.60. Poster's stretch-run focus faux pas? It might be partially explained by the fact that he's a May 20 foal. Speculating five months into the future, that could mean that if Poster progresses on the Triple Crown trail, he could end up competing in both the Derby and GI Preakness prior to his actual third birthdate. Although exact foaling-date records are sketchy prior to 1940, 12 known May foals have won the Derby dating to 1875. But only three of those winners had a May 20 or later foaling date: Exterminator in 1918 (May 30), Northern Dancer in 1964 (May 27), and Thunder Gulch in 1995 (May 23). The Remsen clocking of 1:50.37 (84 Beyer Sped Figure) will justifiably get panned when compared against the .53-seconds-faster race (90 Beyer) that undefeated 2-year-old filly and 'TDN Rising Star' Muhimma (Munnings) uncorked a half-hour later on the GII Demoiselle S. over the same nine-furlong distance and surface. But Poster's time holds up to recent Remsen history. It was the second-fastest running of that stakes in the last 12 years, behind only Dornoch's 1:50.30 clocking last year. You could make the case that Aviator Gui, who edged past in the gallop-out and earned a co-fig of 84 on the Beyer scale, is the colt to follow out of the Remsen. That Chad Brown-trained homebred for Three Chimneys Farm was re-transitioning from turf back to dirt and was let go at 9-1 in the betting. He stalked inside, looked full of run, but lost momentum on two distinct occasions, first when stuck behind a wall of horses at the quarter pole, and again when he shifted in late in the lane. Yet he dug in and kept firing, and now has four stretching-out starts from seven to nine furlongs on his resume (although just a maiden win to show for his efforts). Think of the irony the racing gods have bestowed upon us: Aviator Gui has ensured that for the second year in a row, Derby-prognosticating turf writers will now fill endless winter columns by speculating how Brown plans to correct a lugging-in issue with a top sophomore contender who lost the Remsen by a nose-the same script as with Sierra Leone last year. “Lugging in in the Remsen again,” Brown told the Aqueduct notes team with a wry laugh, unable to escape the sense of deja vu. “I never really saw that from that horse before, so I've got a little bit of work to do with him,” Brown said. “He ran good and he showed he belongs around two turns. We'll talk to the team at Three Chimneys and probably take him south.” Seven horses entered the Remsen and the field scratched down to six. Remember, this is the first year that, according to a new rule in the Road to the Derby points qualifying system, in any five-horse qualifying-race field, only 75% of the points will be proportionally awarded. Any stakes with four or fewer starters will be proportionally awarded just 50% of the total points. The first stakes that could face that points haircut is this coming Saturday's GII Los Alamitos Futurity, which will be drawn Wednesday. In the past eight years, the Los Al Futurity has started with six only once, along with six five-horse fields and one four-horse edition dating to 2016. The post Week In Review: Remsen Evolves Into 2YO Stakes That Foretells 3YO Clout, Although Not Often In Time For Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

For the past two weeks, we have been telling you how some of racing's biggest names fell in love with the sport. Now it's our turn. Here are some of the stories behind the bylines you see every day in the TDN. Marguerite Henry's King of the Wind was my hook. My dog-eared copy of the acclaimed children's novel about the Godolphin Arabian made my young imagination run wild. As an adult, I can still see Wesley Dennis's vibrant illustrations in my mind's eye. If reading King of the Wind was the hook, then watching Sunday Silence's races on television made me fall hook, line, and sinker. Everything about the son of Halo intrigued me. My 11-year-old self scanned the Asbury Park Press for tidbits of news about Sunday Silence and I lovingly taped newspaper clippings of his racing triumphs to my bedroom walls. I became a student of the horse and learned everything I could. While absorbing the hands-on basics of horsemanship, I also got my hands on as many books as possible. On my childhood quests to libraries and bookmobiles, I particularly prized illustrated volumes like Twenty Gallant Horses by C.W. Anderson. Anderson's sketches of Thoroughbred heroes like Heatherbloom, Exterminator, and Troublemaker leapt off the page. In my college years, I plagued my professors at Rutgers with papers about Xenophon, Kelso, and the symbolism of the horse in 17th-century Restoration poetry. Publications like Equine Images and Equus provided me with inspiration and a tantalizing glimpse into the sport of racing. I drew, painted, and sculpted until I saved up enough money for a camera. I trekked to Monmouth Park to learn more about the sport while earnestly photographing local horses like Poppa's Favorites and Frisky Spider. As an outsider looking in, Monmouth Park was fascinating. When I wasn't at the track, I traipsed around old farms in search of another favorite subject, horse graves. Local horse people like Jeanne Vuyosevich opened the door to the racing world and welcomed me in. Each trip made me want to learn more. My racetrack adventures expanded to other states and within a year of purchasing my first SLR camera, my work was published in the New York Times. Although my first full-time day job was not in the racing world, I worked at night on Bill Denver's Equi-Photo team at the Meadowlands during the Thoroughbred meets and on summer weekends at Monmouth Park. In 2007, I joined the staff at the TDN, where my tireless equine and photographic studies continue to this day. Although my family has no racing background, they encouraged my riding and sat through countless lessons and horse shows. My mom is a lifelong horse lover and my grandmother was an avid trail and dressage rider. I admired all breeds but I knew that the most talented riders at my lesson barn rode Thoroughbreds. Those riders were quick, light, and smart, just like their mounts. My current horse, a 28-year-old Thoroughbred named Doctor's Secret, teaches me new lessons every day and is the embodiment of the breed in so many ways. Just as Marguerite Henry's King of the Wind wove a literary path from the Godolphin Arabian to Man o' War, we can connect equine art all the way from the Chauvet Cave paintings to modern-day masters like Barbara Livingston. For those who are hooked, there is always more to learn about horses, racing, and photography. The post How I Got Hooked On Racing: Sarah Andrew, Photographer and Photo Editor appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Penalty M Goodier | Wanganui 4 December; invalid withdrawal; fined $200. Dog Penalties HOMEBUSH COOKIE | Christchurch 2 December; failed to pursue the lure; stood down for 28 days and must complete trial. ROCKDALE FLORA | Wanganui 4 December; failed to pursue the lure; stood down for 28 days and must complete trial. GOLDSTAR FLORRIE | Christchurch 6 December; unsatisfactory performance; must complete trial. The post 2-8 December 2024 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

1st-Aqueduct, $87,300, Msw, 12-8, 2yo, f, 1m, 1:38.64, ft, 1/2 length. RAMIFY (f, 2, Munnings–Chamber, by Tapit) continued a big weekend at the Big A for juveniles by Munnings out of Tapit mares with this debut victory at 3-1. The chestnut filly settled at the back of the field as a trio of runners vied for the early lead down the backstretch through a quarter in :23.02. Ramify was still well back in last as the half went up in :46.28, but she made rapid progress on the far turn. Four wide at the top of the lane, she reeled in favored My Sherrona (Not This Time) down the lane to win by a half-length. Ramify's win follows on from the success of Muhimma (Munnings–Princesa Carolina, by Tapit) in the GII Demoiselle Stakes and Poster (Munnings–Pin Up, by Tapit) in the GII Remsen Stakes Saturday at Aqueduct. Chamber, a daughter of multiple Grade I winner Sightseek (Distant View), sold in foal to Kantharos for $70,000 at last month's Keeneland November sale. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $49,500. O/B-Juddmonte (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. RAMIFY, the 2YO daughter of @coolmoreamerica stallion Munnings, comes from behind to break her maiden in the opener under Flavien Prat for trainer Chad Brown. pic.twitter.com/rAZzP361e0 — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) December 8, 2024 The post Debut Winner Ramify Continues Munnings Big Weekend at the Big A appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies was won by fifth choice Arma Veloce (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) at Kyoto on Sunday. She defeated dual winner Vip Daisy (Jpn) (Satono Diamond {Jpn}), who was stepping into stakes company for the first time, by 1 1/4 lengths. Sent off at 9-1, the dark bay was positioned well in midfield as Mistress (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) led. Caught in between horses and well off the rail entering the final bend, the Teruo Ono silksbearer had quite a bit of work to do. Fanned out widest of all bar one rival entering the straight, she displayed agility to avoid the tiring May Day Ready (Tapit) who was bearing out to her inside. Undeterred, Arma Veloce built up a full head of steam under Mirai Iwata, and bounded past all comers to win going away. Vip Daisy kept her company to her inside in the final furlong, but could not match strides with the winner and was 1 3/4 lengths ahead of the remainder. It was tight for third, with Telos La La (Jpn) (Siskin) defeating fourth-place finisher Shonan Xanadu (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) by a head. “It feels great to be able to stand here as a Group 1 winner after six years of waiting,” said Iwata. “I had a feeling that the filly had a great potential ever since I started riding her, and today, she justified that with great finishing speed. I was too occupied in driving her to the finish so I didn't know until I had crossed the wire, but with no horse next to me then, I felt I had done it.” Favoured Brown Ratchet (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) broke slowly and was farther back than was her wont. She eventually ran 16th after traffic trouble in the lane. May Day Ready, a Grade II winner and second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, ran 13th after sitting midfield early. She was the first international contender since the race was opened to foreign runners in 2010. “Frankie [Dettori] said she was spinning her wheels trying to get a hold of the turf, so she may have wanted something a little harder,” said trainer Joseph Lee. “It wasn't the result we wanted of course but we tried. We'll give her a little break now and then come back and hopefully run as well as she did before.” Arma Veloce was a €30,000,000 (€189,230) foal purchase from the Northern Farm draft by Ono out of the JRHA Select Sale in 2022. A winner at first asking going 1800 metres in good ground at Sapporo on Aug. 4, the daughter of Rakuami (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) was second by a nose in soft going over that distance in the G3 Sapporo Nisai Stakes later that month. The Hanshin Juvenile fillies was her first start at 1600 metres, and her first time over firm turf. Pedigree Notes Shadai Stallion Station's Harbinger (GB) has now sired 29 stakes winners and 21 group winners after Arma Veloce's tally. She is his eighth winner at the highest table and is bred on the same cross as G1 Mile Championship heroine Namur (Jpn), who is also out of a Daiwa Major mare. Pensioned and rising 24 next month, that son of Sunday Silence has a dozen stakes winners to his credit. Sunday's winner is his fifth group winner and second at Group 1 level after the aforementioned Namur. A winner at three and four, Rakuami was retired to the paddocks after 24 starts through the age of five. Arma Veloce is her fourth foal and third winner. She has a yearling colt by Rey De Oro (Jpn) as her latest progeny. Listed-winning granddam Raise And Call (Jpn) (Sakura Bakushin O {Jpn}) foaled G2 Keio Hai Nisai Stakes hero, G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes runner-up and sire Monde Can Know (Jpn) (Kinshasa No Kiseki {Aus}), as well as the stakes-placed Lalibela (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}). Third dam Morriston Belle (Herat) was a multiple stakes winner in North America and was third in the GIII Senorita Breeders' Cup Stakes and GIII Honeymoon Handicap. She sold for $85,000 to Katsumi Yoshida out of the Taylor Made draft at the 1994 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. Sunday, Kyoto, Japan HANSHIN JUVENILE FILLIES-G1, ¥125,120,000, Kyoto, 12-8, 2yo, f, 1600mT, 1:33.40, fm. 1–ARMA VELOCE (JPN), 121, f, 2, Harbinger (GB) 1st Dam: Rakuami (Jpn), by Daiwa Major (Jpn) 2nd Dam: Raise and Call (Jpn), by Sakura Baushin O (Jpn) 3rd Dam: Morriston Belle, by Herat 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (¥30,000,000 Wlg '22 JRHAJUL). O-Teruo Ono; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Hiroyuki Uemura; J-Mirai Iwata; ¥66,274,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, ¥85,600,000. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Vip Daisy (Jpn), 121, f, 2, Satono Diamond (Jpn)–Rose Beryl (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn). 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (¥52,000,000 Ylg '23 JRHAJUL). O-Kunihide Suzuki; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥26,364,000. 3–Teleos La La (Jpn), 121, f, 2, Siskin–Chant de l'Ange (Jpn), by Manhattan Café (Jpn). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. (¥48,000,000 Ylg '23 JRHAJUL). O-Mieko Suzuki; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥16,182,000. Margins: 1 1/4, 1 3/4. HD. Odds: 9.50, 17.30, 16.30. Also Ran: Shonan Xanadu (Jpn), Sourire Mignon (Jpn), Caught Alliciant (Jpn), Meant to Be (Jpn), Mistress (Jpn), Mozu Nana Star (Jpn), Jardinner (Jpn), Run for Vow (Jpn), Lily Field (Jpn), May Day Lady, Kurino Mei (Jpn), June Eos, Brown Ratchet (Jpn), Dantsu Elan (Jpn), Kawakita Mana Lea (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video. The post Harbinger Filly Attains Winning ‘Veloce’ty At Kyoto appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Denise O'Brien of Clonbonny Stud, who will consign 16 lots to the Goffs December NH Sale this week, will shave her head for the Julian Benson CF Foundation at Naas on Tuesday evening. The fundraiser will assist the foundation in building Tranquility House, a 'home away from home' for children, adults and their families living with cystic fibrosis in Ireland. Over 1,400 people live with CF in Ireland. To donate and support Denise's efforts, please visit her idonate page The post Clonbonny Stud’s Denise O’Brien To Support CF Charity appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A total of 69,916 racegoers flooded Sha Tin, with Happy Valley drawing an additional 10,775, to bring the total attendees for the Longines Hong Kong International Races to 80,691. It is the highest attendance number since 2018. “I personally think it was one of the best, if not the best, Longines Hong Kong International Races and an incredible week,” said the HKJC's chief executive officer Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges. “Starting with the Longines International Jockeys' Championship, it was an amazing success. Today, we hoped to create a highlight and I personally think everything went to perfection. “When one looks purely at the results, it was a tremendous success for Hong Kong horses but our overseas horses also ran really well. When you talk to the overseas owners, even if their horses finished second or third, they say it was a wonderful experience to come to Hong Kong and support the meeting. “This meeting was broadcast into 29 countries live and in Hong Kong, we saw tremendous attendance figures with overall attendance of 80,000. We also had 6,511 visitors from the Mainland, which is a record–40% more than we had last year.” Locally trained horses swept three of the four HKIR–Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup, Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}), G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint, and Voyage Bubble (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}), G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile. British raider Giavellotto (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) landed the G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase, the first win at the 'Turf World Championships' for Great Britain since 2012. Added Engelbrecht-Bresges, “When you look at the sporting performances, Romantic Warrior is the best 2000m horse in the world. It was an absolutely dominant performance, he showed that he is absolutely world-class and to win this race (Longines Hong Kong Cup) for the third time is an incredible effort. He has now broken the world prize-money record of Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) with total prize-money of HK$177 million (£17,849,886/€21,528,584/$22,753,164/A$35,611,075), which is an amazing achievement. “It was a very good win by Giavellotto. It was the first time since 2012 for a British horse and with Ka Ying Rising, he had tremendous competition from another Hong Kong horses [Victor The Winner (Aus) (Toronado {Ire})], which disrupted his rhythm, but he is an amazing sprinter. Voyage Bubble has shown how good he is and I think it was a tremendous performance from the runner-up [Soul Rush (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn})].” Turnover reached HK$1,716.3 million (£173,090,614/€208,754,294/$220,628,571/A$345,305,094), including a commingling record of HK$473.8 million (£47,783,215/€57,628,494/$60,906,494/A$95,324,566)–an increase of 10% on last year's Longines HKIR. “Our strategy to bring the best races from Hong Kong and show them overseas is really proving a great success with our races today for the first time under the World Pool banner, which shows our racing product is extremely well received,” he said. “Today is not about the turnover. Today is about the sport–it was a fantastic spectacle. The crescendo was the fireworks to close this wonderful meeting. We have one new racing fan in Sir Alex [Ferguson]. He was absolutely enthused about Hong Kong and what he saw, so he promised me to come back. “This meeting attracts a global audience, global recognition and this reflects positively on Hong Kong. “We would like to thank all the owners, trainers, jockeys who have brought their horses here because we can make this a global event only if we have the support of the owners, trainers and jockeys from overseas. “I want to thank our tremendous teams because of the work they do behind the scenes to make Hong Kong such a wonderful place to visit and to be able to connect to the world as a vibrant, world-class city.” The post “One Of The Best Days Of Racing” In Hong Kong History appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

New Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law watches on as the city’s marquee meeting goes ‘to perfection’.View the full article

Ricky Yiu’s brilliant galloper steps out of the shadow of Golden Sixty to make light work of top international field.View the full article

Danny Shum Chap-shing’s superstar repels Japanese duo to claim hat-trick in city’s richest race.View the full article

The Danny Shum-trained Romantic Warrior takes the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) with James McDonald in the saddle. Photo: HKJC In the end, history was achieved in the most impressive way imaginable. Romantic Warrior became the first horse to win the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) three times in a manner befitting his status as his homeland’s pre-eminent equine ambassador. So easily did the six-year-old defy an array of international competition, in fact, that jockey James McDonald was able to stand up in his irons and salute the packed Sha Tin grandstands as he passed the line a length and a half clear of Japan’s Liberty Island. The heavy favourite jumped slickly from the gates and McDonald was able to allow him to settle into an easy rhythm in fourth place as Irish filly Wingspan set the pace. Another Japanese challenger, Tastiera, had tracked in second and really provided the only competition to Romantic Warrior as they turned for home in a race very few got into. Liberty Island edged past her compatriot in the closing stages but the winner had already wrapped up the contest with a quite stunning demonstration of power, speed and grace. “That was unbelievable, I’m so proud of this horse,” said McDonald. “He’s just been remarkable and it’s some effort by Danny (Shum, trainer) and his team. “The Japanese (horses) put it to him but with no luck. He’s the best, forget the rest, he’s the best. He’s been flying and anyone could ride him because he’s that easy but I’m the lucky one. He’s the horse of a lifetime. This was our moment to create history and it felt like I was lining up for the winning kick for the All Blacks. It was a ‘pinch-me’ moment.” Shum said: “He was confident and full of energy. I stayed in the stables the whole time, I didn’t want to go out to talk too much. I work hard, I love my team and my team has done a great job.” Romantic Warrior has already flown the flag for Hong Kong in several other jurisdictions, winning the Group 1 Cox Plate (2000m) in Australia in October, 2023. Shum and his team then took the brave decision to head to Japan this June, where he won the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen (1600m) in Tokyo. This latest achievement in an unbeaten streak lasting longer than a year sees him move past another Hong Kong great, Golden Sixty, as the biggest money-earner in racing history. Next February, another enormous date is circled in his diary with a crack on the dirt for the lucrative Group 1 Saudi Cup (1800m). “He’s the best, but I have to take another bigger challenge to go to Dubai and Saudi Arabia, just because I haven’t been to Dubai for 25 years,” said Shum. “At that time, I was assistant trainer for Mr Ivan Allan, I had a new experience. I will make sure the team that go there are in the best form. “The owner Mr Peter Lau said it’s a once in a life chance to take the challenge in Saudi Arabia for the top prize-money in the world. We are experimenting with dirt but I’ve tried him in an all-weather trial with a pacifier and he was quite good.” Horse racing news View the full article

The Ricky Yiu-trained Voyage Bubble wins the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m) with James McDonald in the saddle. Photo: HKJC Voyage Bubble sealed his status as Hong Kong’s premier miler with a spirited victory in Sunday’s Group 1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin under James McDonald for trainer Ricky Yiu. Banishing memories of chasing former champion Golden Sixty’s tail in this race last year when second, Voyage Bubble followed his HK$5.35 million Group 2 Jockey Club Mile (1600m) triumph last month by staving off opposition from Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, France and Great Britain today as a $2.60 favourite with horse racing bookmakers in a time of 1:33.34s. Unplaced in Dubai and Japan late last season, Voyage Bubble had his third run this term following an arduous 2023/24 campaign after finishing second first-up to Galaxy Patch in October, who was seventh today after contending with the widest of 14 barriers and an interrupted run in the home straight. Success is Voyage Bubble’s second at Group 1 level after winning January’s HK$13 million Group 1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m). “He’s (Voyage Bubble) a great horse in his own right. He felt excellent going to the gates today – he was really on the job. Credit to Ricky and his team – they’ve prepped him up beautifully,” McDonald said. “He just gives his all. He has a very big heart and he’s very uncomplicated.” Settled on the speed after the jump, Voyage Bubble jostled for the lead with Beauty Eternal before leaving Zac Purton’s mount alone at the head of the field. Asked the question with 350m to run, Voyage Bubble responded with trademark tenacity as Soul Rush unleashed late. Japan’s raider Soul Rush – who finished fourth in 2023 behind Golden Sixty – made up significant ground to pinch second as Beauty Joy did similar under Brenton Avdulla, but it was Voyage Bubble who savoured victory by one and a quarter lengths. Yiu said: “Mentally he is a lot more mature. He’s very smart and he’s developed – he’s gotten taller and a little bit bigger. He has enjoyed Conghua very much.” Today’s win was the fourth at the Hong Kong International Races for Yiu, who captured the Hong Kong Sprint with Fairy King Prawn (1999) and Sacred Kingdom (2007 & 2009). “Out of all of jockeys who have won on him James knows him the best and the draw (five) helped him. The way the race was run suited him. We have wonderful team and we work together very nicely,” Yiu said. Of Soul Rush, Moreira said: “It was a fantastic run, I just think he was beaten by the gate (10).” Speaking of Beauty Joy, Avdulla said: “He ran terrific. He’s not easy to ride, he gives them a start but he closed off hard. He handled himself well.” Australian raider Antino finished 11th, Great Britain’s Docklands and Ramadan were 12th and 14th, respectively. French visitor Lazzat was ninth, while Jantar Mantar from Japan finished 13th. Beauty Eternal faded to fourth with Happy Together behind him, while Chancheng Glory was sixth – one spot ahead of Galaxy Patch. Jockey Vincent Ho said: “He (Galaxy Patch) came across some interference a couple of times, but he ran well.” Victory atop Voyage Bubble was the first of a Group 1 double for McDonald, who captured a record-setting third HK$40 million Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) one race later aboard Romantic Warrior for trainer Danny Shum. Horse racing news View the full article

Ka Ying Rising with Zac Purton in the saddle win the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint. Photo: HKJC. Ka Ying Rising continued a meteoric rise to clinch the biggest win of his career with victory in the HK$26 million Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. Overcoming difficulties at the start and pressure throughout, the gelding responded courageously for Zac Purton and David Hayes to record his eighth successive victory. Slowly away, the four-year-old eventually triumphed by half a length from Hong Kong’s Helios Express, with Japanese raider Satono Reve a short head further away in third place, triumphing at $1.10 with horse racing bookmakers – the shortest-priced favourite in the history of the race. The overall time of 1m .08.15s was outside Ka Ying Rising’s course record of 1:07.43s, set at his previous start. Purton, who has now won the Hong Kong Sprint four times, claiming his 12th Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) win, said there were reasons for the Shamexpress gelding being short of his best and described the win as better than it looked. “Something lunged at the gate just before he went and it took his mind off it and he turned his head, so he was a little bit slow to step,” Purton said. “And then Victor The Winner just bored my neck the whole way and he never quite relaxed the way he has. He was working the whole way and never had time to relax.” Purton also said Ka Ying Rising jumped something in the straight which distracted the four-year-old, who improved his overall record to nine wins from 11 starts. “He wasn’t at his best today and is better than this and still got the job done,” Purton said. It was Hayes first Group 1 victory since his return to the Hong Kong training ranks four years ago – and his first since All Thrills Too in 2002. Hayes said he was proud because Purton said everything went wrong really. “The start wasn’t perfect and he got pressure when he normally gets a bit of cover, so I think it was a better win than it looked,” he said. “You’re never confident going into international Group 1s because there’s so many unknowns, but I was as confident as you could be. “Probably not as confident as the market, but in market terms I thought $1.80, not $1.10.” Hayes will wait to see how his rising star recovers before deciding on his next assignment. “We’ll see how he pulls up, but the initial one will be the Group 1 sprint in late January, six weeks between the runs and then after that, we’ll make a decision whether we go to the (Hong Kong Classic) mile (1600m) or not,” Hayes said. Hayes said it had been the first time in his past three runs that Ka Ying Rising didn’t get everything his own way and didn’t relax. “He was going to relax, Victor (The Winner) came up to him and really eyeballed him,” he said “So, I think when he relaxes, we all know he’s more explosive. That was probably the least exciting to the eye, but I know that was a great win because he did pull.” Hyped for weeks as closing in on the title of the world’s leading sprinter, Ka Ying Rising will continue his path to the world’s richest turf race, the Group 1 The Everest (1200m) at Randwick next October. Such was the dominance of Ka Ying Rising’s lead-up races to the sprint that opposition trainers and jockeys had all but conceded defeat and were hoping at best to share some of the minor money in the HK$26 million prize pool. Drawn in barrier 11 in the 14-horse field, the only pre-race worry for Hayes was whether the gelding could be caught wide. Japan’s three-pronged attack of Toshin Macau, Satono Reve and Lugal was aiming to break Hong Kong’s stranglehold on the race. They had hoped to emulate Japanese horses Lord Kanaloa (2012 and 2013) and Danon Smash (2020) as the only internationals to stop the local horses from saluting in the past 12 editions of the race. Britain, was also hoping to break the trend with Ralph Beckett’s Starlust. Coming off a last start win in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (1000m) but he finished second last, in front of Victor The Winner. The other international in the field, Australia’s Recommendation finished 12th. Horse racing news View the full article

Classic Mile-bound Packing Hermod headlines the handler’s afternoon while Happy Park, Packing Angel and Divano also salute.View the full article

Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) continued a meteoric rise to clinch the biggest win of his career with victory in the HK$26 million Gr.1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. Overcoming difficulties at the start and pressure throughout, the gelding responded courageously for Zac Purton and David Hayes to record his eighth successive victory. Slowly away, the four-year-old eventually triumphed by half a length from Hong Kong’s Helios Express, with Japanese raider Satono Reve a short head further away in third place, triumphing at 1.1 – the shortest-priced favourite in the history of the race. The overall time of 1m .08.15s was outside Ka Ying Rising’s course record of 1m 07.43s, set at his previous start. Purton, who has now won the Hong Kong Sprint four times, claiming his 12th Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) win, said there were reasons for the Shamexpress gelding being short of his best and described the win as better than it looked. “Something lunged at the gate just before he went and it took his mind off it and he turned his head, so he was a little bit slow to step,” Purton said. “And then Victor The Winner just bored my neck the whole way and he never quite relaxed the way he has. He was working the whole way and never had time to relax.” Purton also said Ka Ying Rising jumped something in the straight which distracted the four-year-old, who improved his overall record to nine wins from 11 starts. “He wasn’t at his best today and is better than this and still got the job done,” Purton said. Ka Ying Rising was the first foal bred by Fraser Auret with his wife Erin under their Grandmoral Lodge Racing banner. Photo: supplied It was Hayes first Group One victory since his return to the Hong Kong training ranks four years ago – and his first since All Thrills Too in 2002. Hayes said he was proud because Purton said everything went wrong really. “The start wasn’t perfect and he got pressure when he normally gets a bit of cover, so I think it was a better win than it looked,” he said. “You’re never confident going into international Group 1s because there’s so many unknowns, but I was as confident as you could be. “Probably not as confident as the market, but in market terms I thought $1.80, not $1.10.” Hayes will wait to see how his rising star recovers before deciding on his next assignment. “We’ll see how he pulls up, but the initial one will be the Group One sprint in late January, six weeks between the runs and then after that, we’ll make a decision whether we go to the (Hong Kong Classic) mile (1600m) or not,” Hayes said. Hayes said it had been the first time in his past three runs that Ka Ying Rising didn’t get everything his own way and didn’t relax. “He was going to relax, Victor (The Winner) came up to him and really eyeballed him,” he said “So, I think when he relaxes, we all know he’s more explosive. That was probably the least exciting to the eye, but I know that was a great win because he did pull.” Hyped for weeks as closing in on the title of the world’s leading sprinter, Ka Ying Rising will continue his path to the world’s richest turf race, the HK$100 million G1 The Everest (1200m) at Randwick next October. Such was the dominance of Ka Ying Rising’s lead-up races to the sprint that opposition trainers and jockeys had all but conceded defeat and were hoping at best to share some of the minor money in the HK$26 million prize pool. Bred by trainer Fraser Auret with his wife Erin under their Grandmoral Lodge Racing banner, Ka Ying Rising was born, raised, broken-in and initially trained at Auret’s property before he was sold following an impressive jumpout at Levin. View the full article