Wandering Eyes

By Michael Guerin The fact trainer Brendon Hill has never won a Derby might be a surprise. But the fact his good mate Ricky May have never won one is flat out remarkable. The pair head to Addington on Friday to try and remedy that with Renegade in the $300,000 Garrards New Zealand Pacing Derby, a great race won by great horses. It may not actually contain many truly great horses this year with this three-year-old crop struggling to produce a standout star who has open class hero of the future written all over him. But judging by the way he won the lead-up at Addington last week Renegade looks as good as many of his rivals and Hill says he would love to win a Derby with his mate. “I’d love to get one for myself but it is kinda hard to believe Ricky has never driven the Derby winner so to do it together would be magic,” says Hill. “We know it won’t be easy but maybe we are in the right year. There isn’t a standout horse in this crop and I think he is under-rated.” Hill says Renegade had snuck under a few people’s radars before last week’s win and he is spot on for this assignment. “He was really good at Ashburton two starts and had no real luck in the Velocity,” he offers. Renegade has what initially looks a perfect draw at barrier 2 but Hill would prefer he stays there rather than move into the ace if first emergency Next Level inside him comes out. “I’d prefer two, that way he can’t get pushed back on the fence. “It is hard enough to get a Derby chance so want him to get his shot.” Renegade looks up to most tonight after he beat Chase The Dream last Friday although co-trainer Nathan Purdon is expecting the latter to improve. The other and even more dramatic late mover in this crop has been Better Knuckle up, who has been going good races all season but was dominant in the first running of The Velocity. He is versatile, with gate speed, toughness and the ability to swoop so he probably has more ways to win this Derby than his rivals and the perfect draw to try any of those styles. But this is a Derby where any number of them could win, with horses like Jeremiah, We Walk By Faith, Bazooka, Dreams Are Free and Vessem all having shown enough at different stages to suggest they could triumph without stunning. The bookies could barely split them either, with Better Knuckle Up and Chase A Dream $3.20 equal favourites earlier in the week, and Renegade at $8.50. View the full article

Reacting to an incident that took place Tuesday at Parx in which he was caught on video striking the horse National Law (Constitution) in the face with his whip following the fifth race, jockey Paco Lopez has received a provisional suspension from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA). “In response to the incident yesterday involving jockey Paco Lopez, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has provisionally suspended Paco Lopez from all racing activities under HISA's jurisdiction, effective immediately,” said a HISA spokesperson. “The provisional suspension will proceed under an expedited timeline through HISA's adjudication process.” Parx officials also weighed-in on the incident with a statement of their own. “We are aware of the incident that took place after the fifth race on Dec. 3 and want to express that we aspire to hold the jockey colony and all of the horsemen and women here at Parx to the highest standards,” the release read. “Unsportsmanlike behavior should not and will not be tolerated,” the Parx release said. We will deal with this accordingly. We are cooperating fully with our stewards and with HISA and will support any disciplinary decision they make in the matter.” You have to see this! #8 NATIONAL LAW (4.20) had a huge lead in the stretch before drifting all the way out to the outer rail, just holding on to win race 5 at Parx. The 2yo son of Constitution was ridden by Paco Lopez and is trained by Jorge Duarte, Jr. pic.twitter.com/MR6CSv8VtZ — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 3, 2024 The post HISA Provisionally Suspends Paco Lopez After Incident At Parx appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds has added Provocateur (by Into Mischief) for the 2025 breeding season with a stud fee set at $5,000 LFSN, according to a press release from the New York stallion farm on Wednesday. The 5-year-old will stand alongside three-time leading New York sire Central Banker and nationally ranked second crop sire Solomini. The farm will hold their annual holiday stallion show on Saturday, Dec. 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET., and all three stallions will be available for inspection. Bred by Kingswood Farm and David Egan, Provocateur was a $600,000 Keeneland September buy for Spendthrift Farm and MyRacehorse. The Todd Pletcher trainee won the Hutcheson Stakes at Gulfstream Park and finished third in the GI Woody Stephens Stakes. He was purchased for $200,000 by McMahon during 2022 Keeneland November at the Horses of Racing Age Sale. 2025 Fees: Central Banker: $7,500 Solomini: $7,500 Provocateur: $5,000 The post McMahon Of Saratoga Adds Provocateur To 2025 Roster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Chancheng Glory carries the flag for Iowa breeding in the Longines Hong Kong Mile (G1)View the full article

A breeding right in exciting young stallion Blue Point (Ire) is to be auctioned online on Darley winning bid, the bespoke online auction platform. The auction will take place between the hours of 9am on Tuesday, December 10 and 3pm on Wednesday, December 11. The leading first-season sire by number of winners in 2023, Blue Point covered 161 mares this season. First-crop son Rosallion (Ire) was his flagbearer on the racecourse with a pair of Group 1 wins in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and St James's Palace Stakes, with the speedy Big Evs (Ire), successful in the G2 King George Stakes, and Kind Of Blue (GB), the winner of the G1 Champions Sprint Stakes, heading a strong supporting cast. Blue Point will command a fee of €100,000 at Kildangan Stud in 2025, a significant increase on the €60,000 he stood for this season. Sam Bullard, Darley's director of stallions, said, “As every aspect of the market continues to polarise, gaining access each season to these popular horses becomes ever more significant to breeders, which is why we are delighted to offer breeders the chance to obtain this breeding right in one of the most successful young stallions on our European roster, securing access to him for many years to come. “I would encourage all potential bidders to register as soon as possible and as ever, the team are on hand to assist with any queries regarding the bidding process.” In order to bid, buyers will need to be registered for a MyDarley account and follow the instructions on how to bid here. The post Breeding Right in Blue Point to be Auctioned Online by Darley appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ten days ago, the Arqana sales company announced the launch of SirePower+, a tailored financing programme which offers breeders the opportunity to have 50% of their 2025 stallion covering fee financed by the Deauville auction house up until the offspring is sold at an Arqana sale. The goal of the programme is to encourage breeders with good mares to reach a little higher to breed to the best French and international stallions, creating more commercially desirable foals. Both French and foreign breeders are invited to participate. The produce will be sold at Arqana's weanling and yearling sales. With the December sale fast approaching, we sat down with Arqana President Olivier Delloye to talk about the new programme. SF: Basically, what you're doing is becoming a bank for breeders. Can you tell me how this idea came about? OD: The idea came very naturally to us after talking with some breeders, particularly Eric Puerari from Haras des Capucines. We are all aware that sire power is a key success driver in any select sale, and we were thinking about how we could help breeders to increase the depth of the top profiles in our yearling sales based on the fact that Deauville attracts the top buyers every year. We're pretty sure that those people would be happy to buy a bit more at home if they find a bit more of the high-profile yearlings they are looking for. SF: I have the impression that sales companies might have done this quietly in the past by extending credit and not asking for payment until the horse actually sells again. Are you the first people to do it formally in this way? OD: That's a good question. I don't know enough about what sales companies did in terms of initiatives of that kind in recent years, but yes, it's quite unusual to market it as a financial product. It's really aimed at letting breeders know that there is something for them, and if they think that they have a really good mare, they can go the extra step in terms of a covering sire to produce one of those really, really sought-after yearlings. And we can help. SF: Just to be clear, this applies to international sires, correct? You could breed to Dubawi, for example. OD: It's open to the best stallions, and of course if we are talking about Europe, you have some in France, but there is obviously a bigger number in the UK and in Ireland. It's open to French breeders or non-French breeders, but we'd rather focus, at least for the first year, on people breeding in France. You can be living in the UK or in Ireland or in the US, but if you have some nice mares standing in France and you really want to offer them the best stallion and maybe a better stallion that you had in mind initially, then that's where SirePower+ comes in. SF: How has it been received by stallion owners? OD: To date, it has been welcomed very positively, both by stallion owners and breeders as well. We already got some nice applications–applications that are really, really in line with what we had in mind when launching this product, That's good news, and we also had a positive response in the way that it triggered a good discussion among the breeders in France about how to enhance the quality of what is produced in France. I think listening to the breeders can only help us collectively to launch other initiatives in the near future to achieve the same objective. “We are wondering within Arqana what a sales company can do to help to make the whole French industry stronger.” –Arqana President Olivier Delloye SF: Do you imagine it mostly being yearlings that are produced under this scheme or could it be weanlings or in-foal mares? OD: It could be weanlings, but I'd say its primarily aimed at producing yearlings because France remains a real market for yearlings more than weanlings. Still, if someone has it in mind to produce top-class weanlings to sell in December here in Arqana, I would definitely support that plan, too. SF: What would have to happen, say by the year after next, for you to say, `wow, this was a big success and we're going to build on it?' What would you like to see happen? OD: I'd like to see an increased number of yearlings by what we know are or will be the stallions most in demand by those buyers that we do very much to attract here in Deauville. SF: Is it becoming more and more competitive for sales companies to attract those very top yearlings, making initiatives like SirePower+ necessary to remain competitive? Will we see more and more of this type of promotion? OD: What we really, really have to improve upon here in France is the depth we can offer at the top end of the catalogue. We need more Classic broodmares going to the best stallions. We need to attract more of those good stallions and keep them in France. The stallion ranks have been improving over the last years, but we have still some progress to make. Everything is linked, so you cannot pretend to have the best stallions in France if you don't have the broodmares and vice versa, so we need to work on both sides. That's why we are wondering within Arqana what a sales company can do to help to make the whole French industry stronger. SF: Do you imagine people buying mares at this sale, thinking,` I'm going to take advantage of this offer?' OD: Yes, very much so. The very last big show of the year in Deauville is this breeding stock sale, which has made huge progress over the last years, and which features a strong catalogue. On a very exciting Saturday, we are featuring a Classic-winning filly in the name of Sparkling Plenty, top-class mares, the dams of Unquestionable, Tamfana, and Metropolitan to name the most recent Group 1 winners, and a good bunch of very exciting racing prospects like Spanish Eyes, Grand Stars and many others. We also have some weanlings by the most exciting sires like Frankel, Sea The Stars, Lope De Vega, Siyouni and many others. It's a strong catalogue and I think we will have a good crowd coming from all over the world including a lot of Japanese, so we're hoping for a successful sale. I do think that what we launched is a good incentive to buy a nice broodmare here, keep her in France and if you can have half of the nomination fee financed until the sale of the yearling, it can only help people be a bit bolder to buy some nice mares and leave them in France. The post SirePower+: Q and A With Olivier Delloye On Eve of Arqana Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Given little chance as a $30 outsider, 33-year-old jockey dominates prestigious contest with two wins and a second.View the full article

Star New Zealander will enter a huge weekend in top form after victories aboard Prince Alex, Smart Fighter and Chill Chibi.View the full article

Chancheng Glory carries the flag for Iowa breeding in the Longines Hong Kong Mile (G1)View the full article

While the New York Racing Association has two grade 1 stakes for 2-year-olds, the Dec. 7 Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack has been a much more reliable indicator of Triple Crown success.View the full article

Two-time Eclipse Award winner Julien Leparoux earned his 3,000th career victory when he won Churchill Downs' third race aboard Pike Place on Thanksgiving Day Nov. 28.View the full article

It's been almost nine months since Tuz blasted his rivals into submission in the Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) on Dubai World Cup night, but he's back and ready do it all again.View the full article

Via Sienna (GB), a Bated Breath (GB) half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), has been added to the Arqana Vente d'Elevage. An unraced 2-year-old, lot 120 will be consigned by Baroda Stud and will sell in Deauville on Saturday, Dec. 7. The sale runs from Dec. 7-10. Via Sistina won the G1 Pretty Polly Stakes in the Northern Hemisphere before selling for 2,700,000gns at last year's Tattersalls December Mares Sale where she was bought by Yulong. In Australia, she has triumphed five times at the highest level: in the Ranvet Stakes, Winx Stakes, Turnbull Stakes, Cox Plate and in the Champions Stakes. The half-sisters are out of the Galileo (Ire) mare Nigh (Ire), who is a half-sister to G1 Golden Jubilee Stakes and G1 Nunthorpe Stakes hero Kingsgate Native (Ire) (Mujadil). Via Sienna was bred by Wes Melcher, and was a 20,000gns Tattersalls December foal. She did not meet her reserve when passed in for 75,000gns at last year's Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. The post Via Sistina’s Half-Sister Added To Arqana’s Vente d’Elevage appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

All of us involved in this game tend to be exposed to its ups and downs on a scale proportionate to our means. That being so, there have unsurprisingly been some pretty wild extremes–for better and worse–in the story of the most lavishly funded program in its history. Just think back, for instance, to the last days of April 2001. Sheikh Mohammed had sent Street Cry (Ire) back to the United States, where he had been skillfully developed as a juvenile by Eoin Harty, with the mission of winning the GI Kentucky Derby after wintering in his desert homeland. But now Street Cry had been struck by an ankle inflammation, and would have to be scratched. Within the week, nobody on the Godolphin team was still giving that disappointment a moment's thought. At least Street Cry would be back in a few months. Over in Britain, in contrast, the horse that the Sheikh cherished above all others had just lost a harrowing battle with grass sickness. The following year Street Cry would emulate the tragic Dubai Millennium–who had in 2000 fulfilled the destiny for which he had been renamed–by winning the G1 Dubai World Cup. Another runaway Grade I success when commuting back Stateside volunteered him as a potential Horse of the Year, but a recurrence of his ankle issue instead saw him retired to Jonabell. That farm had been purchased the previous year as part of Godolphin's increasingly international agenda. And he certainly had an apt profile for reconciling different racing cultures, having proved a dirt champion despite being out an G1 Irish Oaks winner by Troy (Helen Street (GB), whose full-sister of course produced Shamardal). Street Sense | Sarah Andrew Street Cry's first crop, conceived at $30,000 and delivered in 2004, would include Zenyatta, whose public reach has perhaps been matched among modern fillies only by another of his daughters, the 2011 foal Winx (Aus). But it also featured a couple of colts who would both end up following their sire to Jonabell, in 'TDN Rising Star' Street Sense and Street Boss. Street Sense's 2-year-old championship elevated his sire's fee to $50,000; his Kentucky Derby, to $100,000. Then Street Boss blossomed with two Grade I sprints as a 4-year-old, and Zenyatta won the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, taking Street Cry to $150,000. But this, Winx apart, would prove one of many stallions whose record did not particularly improve with the presumed caliber of his mares. His two most accomplished Australian runners besides Winx, Shocking (Aus) and Whobegotyou (Aus), both belonged to his first shuttle crop; and arguably he made no greater impact as a six-figure cover in the U.S. than through star juvenile New Year's Day. While the latter is now represented at stud by Maximum Security, the principal conduit for Street Cry's branch of the Machiavellian line has meanwhile led through those two first-crop sons who stood alongside their sire at Jonabell. Street Cry himself having died aged 16, in 2014, they have carried the torch nobly. Street Sense, in contrast with his sire, enters the evening of his career with an ever-stronger legacy, the succession being contested with notable vigor by such young sons as 'TDN Rising Star' McKinzie, Maxfield and Speaker's Corner. Street Boss, similarly, has Anamoe (Aus) recently starting out in Australia with nine elite wins to his credit. Overall, despite his 'TDN Rising Star' and GI Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia, Street Boss has proved so much more effective in Australia that he moved there permanently in 2022. His daughter Accomplished Girl did manage another black-type success at the Fair Grounds on Saturday, but for Godolphin it was sooner as damsires that both he and Street Sense dovetailed for a gratifying Thanksgiving weekend. Mindframe | Sarah Andrew Perhaps we should not be surprised. Though Zenyatta proved a notorious anti-climax as a broodmare, Street Cry's daughters have lately produced such good horses as Vino Rosso (Curlin), Just F Y I (Justify) and Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). That reminds us how gradually distaff influence tends to burn, but Street Sense's daughters have already produced the likes of European champion Roaring Lion (Kitten's Joy) and one of this year's leading sophomores in 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution). As winner of the GI Ogden Phipps Stakes and GI Beldame Stakes, Wedding Toast arguably remains the best female runner by Street Sense. She had plenty of genetic help from her dam, a half-sister to that extraordinary creature Congaree, and has naturally been given every opportunity in her matings. Unfortunately her first three foals to make the track, by Dubawi and Tapit, have proved most disappointing: a Tapit gelding did win at Remington Park a couple of weeks ago, but under a $5,000 tag. Now, however, her 2-year-old daughter by the venerable Medaglia d'Oro, Good Cheer, is four-for-four after landing the GII Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill. (Which success incidentally complemented another graded stakes for Medaglia d'Oro a couple of days previously, Loved having beaten another Godolphin filly, Tarifa, in the GIII Falls City Stakes. Loved is a half-sister to one of Street Sense's young guns in Maxfield, their dam Velvety being by distaff phenomenon Bernardini (himself additionally sire of Tarifa) out of Bernstein's $3.1 million sister Caress (Storm Cat).) On the same Churchill card, the GII Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes fell to First Resort (Uncle Mo)–whose dam, Fair Maiden, was like Wedding Toast a homebred Grade I winner for Godolphin, albeit her success in the La Brea Stakes came as rather a shock. First Resort is her first foal and, while the next couple of generations are quite fallow in terms of black type, the fourth dam is GI Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Status (A.P. Indy)–whose son by Unbridled's Song, Dunkirk, won the GII Florida Derby. Perhaps what's most pleasing about First Resort is the fact that he's trained by the same man who supervised Street Cry, all those years ago, at the same stage of his career. Harty's self-effacing nature has long made him an admirable team player for Godolphin, but probably does not assist his promotion of what is nowadays also a public stable. Don't forget that he was also behind the scenes with Bob Baffert during the Silver Charm/Real Quiet era; nor that he is a fifth-generation horseman from one of Ireland's most respected racing families. Those genes are plainly telling in his handling of First Resort, much as those of his old buddy Street Cry have filtered through to the colt himself. Beach Riding the Crest of a Wave Street Cry's distaff influence was reiterated over the holiday weekend by Kehoe Beach (Omaha Beach), the GII Mrs. Revere Stakes winner being out of his daughter Sweet Awakening. That takes him up to 91 graded/group winners as damsire. Kehoe Beach | Coady Media Kehoe Beach's breeders bought Sweet Awakening for $45,000 at the 2008 Keeneland November Sale, following a curtailed track career, and tried to flip her in foal to Run Away and Hide in the same ring the following year. Fortunately she failed to meet her reserve, at $27,000, and three of the breeding partnership ended up racing the foal themselves: as Are You Kidding Me, he became a multiple Canadian graded stakes winner and banked over $1.3 million for Ronald Kirk, John Bates and Michael Riordan. Kehoe Beach, with her page duly illuminated, was sold to Cherry Tree Farm as a weanling for $180,000 before proving an excellent pinhook at $450,000 back in the same ring the following September. As his fourth graded stakes winner, Kehoe Beach maintains a persuasive rally by her sire. On the face of it, Omaha Beach did not quite match his billing when fourth of the Spendthrift quartet who dominated the freshman table last year, having started out at the highest fee. But we shouldn't forget that he only broke his maiden at the fifth attempt, his subsequent blossoming yielding consecutive Grade I wins over nine and six furlongs. The cream is duly rising with his maturing stock, and Omaha Beach now bestrides his intake across all indices of quality, notably with 21 black-type performers in 2024 at 14 percent of starters. (Across the two years, moreover, he's up to 18 percent.) He cannot match a handful for sheer volume of winners, but tellingly is clear on purse money. Spendthrift's hopes of a freshman hat-trick (following Good Magic and Mitole) remain on a knife edge, with Vekoma holding a wafer-thin lead. The two horses that chased home First resort on Saturday, 'TDN Rising Star' Jonathan's Way and Tiztastic, each enhanced his status as principal earner for Vekoma and Tiz the Law respectively. Through Monday, Vekoma stood on $2,611,038 against Street Sense's son McKinzie on $2,598,391, with Tiz the Law, whose daughter Book'em won her third straight on that same Saturday card at Churchill, breathing down their necks on $2,543,857. Standing on the Shoulders of Giants Most precious result of the week was surely the graded stakes breakthrough of Gun Runner's half-sister Pretty Ana (Quality Street) in the GIII Comely Stakes. But there will also have been plenty of relief in the City of Light camp that Formidable Man, in the Hollywood Derby, was able to become the second Grade I winner craved for the sire of 'TDN Rising Star' and champion Fierceness. And meanwhile there was also a significant breakthrough for freshman War of Will, whose daughter Will Then became his first stakes winner in the GIII Jimmy Durante Stakes. Mrs. Astor | Benoit Will Then was contributing to a remarkable week for Augustin Stables, as one of three homebred graded stakes winners at Del Mar, following Mrs. Astor (Lookin At Lucky) in the GIII Red Carpet Stakes and Truly Quality (Quality Road) in the GII Hollywood Turf Cup. Truly Quality, a half-sister to recent Canadian graded stakes winner Mouffy (Uncle Mo), is out of a graded stakes-placed daughter of George Strawbridge's champion grass mare Together Forever (Belong to Me). But good breeders tap into each other's work and Strawbridge did just that with Will Then's dam Remember Then (Pulpit), whose family had been cultivated with a familiar touch of genius by his friend Arthur Hancock. Remember Then, who won her first three races in Strawbridge's colors, had been bought as a yearling from Stone Farm as a daughter of four-time graded stakes winner Owlsey (Harlan), whose own dam was similarly homebred by Hancock. A parallel process accounted for Mrs. Astor, whose dam Causal (Creative Cause) was another yearling purchase by Strawbridge from an exemplary operation, in this case that of Brereton C. Jones of Airdrie Stud. Causal, a half-sister to two Canadian champions in Biofuel (Stormin Fever) and Tu Endie Wei (Johar), was confined to a very light career and was soon culled from the Strawbridge program, only to be sold on by her purchasers in a Fasig-Tipton digital sale in July (in foal to Army Mule) for just $48,000. Her alert purchasers were…Airdrie Stud! There's no higher praise than to say that the team there are proving worthy of the BCJ legacy. The late Governor reached Thanksgiving matched in 2024 only by Godolphin in stakes winners bred, level on 18 apiece. First Resort has now edged Godolphin into the lead, but as a son of Uncle Mo is typical of the fee gap between the stallions typically used by these two programs. To have pulled clear of every other breeder in the land is a remarkable achievement. The post Breeding Digest: A Cry Echoing Down The Street appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

John Stewart says that he is 'putting his money where his mouth is' after spending 6,265,000gns–close to $8 million–on five fillies at Tattersalls this week, headed by Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac winner Vertical Blue (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) at 3.2 million gns. Vertical Blue is trained by Francis Graffard, who manages the career of Stewart's most high-profile horse in Europe, Goliath (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}). The four-year-old gelding was last seen finishing sixth in the Japan Cup. That effort was deemed unsatisfactory by the man behind Resolute Racing, who has outlined some lofty ambitions for Graffard and the rest of the trainers on his roster. He said, “I'm pretty satisfied with the purchases. The auction played out pretty much as I thought it would. I was very targeted in looking for specific horses. Of course, we one hundred per cent wanted to be focussed on the top end of the market and Vertical Blue was the number one horse on my list at the sale.” Stewart added, “She is trained by Francis, who trains Goliath for us. We have developed a really close relationship since we got Goliath and spent time together with him in Japan and got to meet his wife and family in France as well. He could not stop talking about how special this filly is and how he wanted to keep her in the barn. “I believe in Francis. He's an innovator from a trainer's standpoint in that he wants to compete globally. He's not afraid to go and take risks. When I bring up some of these ideas about what I want to do with these horses, he probably thinks that I'm crazy but he's the kind of person who tries to figure out how we can do it. I can see him genuinely getting excited when he talks about some of the things we want to do.” Along with Vertical Blue, Stewart snapped up Irish 1,000 Guineas runner-up A Lilac Rolla (Ire) (Harry Angel {Ire}) for 1 million gns and Group performer Village Voice (GB) (Zarak {Fr}) at 1.3 million. Speedier types Tales Of The Heart (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and It Ain't Two (GB) (Clyx {GB}) completed the spend at 650,000gns and 115,000gns respectively. All of the horses were purchased with Keeneland in mind. Stewart continued, “We're going to surprise a lot of people next year with what we do with Goliath in how we turn him into an international success. He's already a European success and he's a success in Japan, even though he got sixth in the Japan Cup. We're not satisfied with that but the trip was very successful. Francis got a taste of that, as my team did as well. We're going to be back next year and we're going to have a different strategy. We're going to win that race. I didn't get into this sport to go to these races and watch other people win them. It's not enough to just watch these horses competing and, if you look at the horses I bought, the majority of them-outside of Vertical Blue-are specifically focussed on Keeneland. The turf tends to be pretty soft and, even our turf horses that we have in our programme, like Didia and Pounce, haven't run well at Keeneland because they like the firm turf that you see at Saratoga, Gulfstream or Del Mar. “We targeted buying the horses who like the soft ground. Resolute is going to have multiple horses taking part in these Graded Stakes races at Keeneland on turf. That's my home track and it's the one track we haven't won races at even though we have won races all over the world. That's not good enough and I'm not one who's going to make excuses. We're putting our money where our mouth is and are buying horses to win on the turf at Keeneland.” The post “Putting Our Money Where Our Mouth Is” – Stewart Has Big Plans For Tattersalls Purchases appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Elegant Jazz(NZ) (Russian Revolution) made a strong opening to her three-year-old campaign at Arawa Park on Wednesday, breaking her maiden with a promising performance in the Novara Park 1230. The Russian Revolution filly had nine starts as a juvenile, with two of her best efforts coming in the hands of Sam Spratt, who was engaged for the ride at the midweek meeting. Starting among the outside hopes at $21.40, Elegant Jazz made good use of her low barrier early, but was soon crossed by several runners, landing her in the second-half of the field in the running. Saving plenty of ground turning for home, Spratt guided Elegant Jazz into the centre of the track on straightening and set out after She’s All That, showing a tidy turn-of-foot late to storm over the top by a half-length. Debutant runner Protheatrics and Clear Conscience made a strong account of themselves to fill the first four. Elegant Jazz was prepared at Tuhikaramea by Team Rogerson, who were represented on-course by Michelle Northcott. “It was a great ride from Sam, she was supposed to be a bit handier than that but it all worked out well for her,” she said. “She’s always shown a bit, she’s just not always had the best luck.” Spratt shared a similar opinion and was pleased to see the filly delivering on her early promise. “She was good, she was knocking on the door as a two-year-old and I had a couple of placings on her,” she said. “They were hoping to get to the Karaka Millions and didn’t quite get there, but with a bit of time in the paddock, she’s come back really well. “There was quite a bit of speed, I thought I was going to be thereabouts but with that speed, I ended up settling three-back. She was nice.” The first foal out of a High Chaparral mare Made The News, Elegant Jazz was bred by Gerry Harvey, who remained in the ownership group after she was purchased by Rogerson Bloodstock for $110,000 at the 2023 Karaka Yearling Sales. View the full article

Japanese rider oozes confidence ahead of Sunday’s Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) showdown.View the full article

Derby hero suffers bone injury, reducing the field for the city’s richest race to 11.View the full article

Race 7 WINDSOR NEW WORLD MAIDEN 1600m CHANCE (D Bothamley) – Trainer Ms. A Hewitson reported to Stewards, that on Monday 2 December, CHANCE was seen by the chiropractor and treated for overall general soreness. A Hewitson further advised it is her intention to carry on with the gelding’s current preparation. Race 9 RYAL BUSH TRANSPORT & WAYNE “OX” MCEWAN MEMORIAL 1600m GINTYS GIRL (K Williams) – Co-trainer Mr. G Eade reported to Stewards, that on Tuesday 26 November, GINTYS GIRL, underwent a veterinary examination including blood tests which revealed a slight virus and was placed on a four days’ worth of treatment. G Eade further advised it is the stables intention to continue on with the mare’s current preparation where they may look to nominate GINTYS GIRL for the Southland RC meeting on Saturday 14 December. The post Winton Jockey Club @ Ascot Park Invercargill, Sunday 24 November 2024 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Multiple Group One winner La Crique will contest Saturday’s Group 1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) La Crique hasn’t returned to Trentham since she won the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) as a three-year-old, and three years down the track, the star mare will line up as a leading hope in Saturday’s Group 1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m). The Desert Gold was La Crique’s first taste of stakes success and she has scarcely raced out of that company since, winning the Group 2 Avondale Guineas (2100m), Group 1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m), Group 1 Otaki-WFA Classic (1600m), and most recently, the Group 2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) a fortnight ago. The daughter of Vadamos was fittingly favourite for the feature, and after settling back, she had plenty of hurdles to overcome in the running. But her class prevailed in the finish with a booming run to catch Lux Libertas at the post, a performance more than pleasing for co-trainer Katrina Alexander. “I thought it was a great run from her, just on the sectionals and the way the race was run,” she said. “It was a fairly slow tempo early and I thought there would’ve been more genuine speed, so the fact there was no speed, she slotted back and a bit wide and looked no hope about 100m out, to finish the way she did and win was a huge effort. “This is a shorter turnaround than what we like to do with her, we’re most comfortable giving her three weeks’ between runs which means I don’t have to do a hell of a lot with her in that first week post-race. “I still haven’t had to do a lot with her, she’s trained on really well and she had a nice hit-out yesterday (Tuesday). Other than that, she gets a huge amount of improvement through each run she has, so the need to be too busy with her between runs isn’t there. “It’s just a matter of keeping her well and happy, and she certainly lets us know when she is. I’m really happy with her.” A run of poor barrier draws will continue for La Crique on Saturday; after drawing 12 of 12 in the Auckland Breeders, she has drawn 13 of 13 in the TAB Mufhasa. “I think she’s become the type of horse that likes to be a bit patient early, after having always appeared to be a handy-running horse,” Alexander said. “We seem to always get the wide draws at the moment with her, but I don’t think it will have too much influence on what we do. We had talked about the possibility of sitting a bit closer so she didn’t have so much work to do, but the big long straight at Trentham allows you to get organised. “We’ll have a chat with Michael (McNab, jockey) around the speed map and what we might do on race-day, but I’m not too worried. She’s performed at Trentham before and I think it will suit her.” Despite the draw, La Crique is likely to start a short-priced favourite with horse racing bookmakers just as she did three years ago at the same venue, a reflection of her longevity as one of the country’s elite weight-for-age gallopers. “I’m actually really proud that she’s still competing at this level,” said Alexander, who trains the six-year-old alongside her husband Simon. “We said right back when she was a three-year-old that we would train her for longevity. Looking at her physically back then, we knew she was going to take time and she wasn’t going to furnish until she was an older mare. “She’s done it all on natural ability back then, and we’ve had some niggles along the way since, but that’s mainly been down to feet, not body as such. Last season was a classic example of that, we probably never had her at 100 percent, but she just had enough class and ability to continue. “You look through the races that she’s run in, it’s very rare that she has been out of black-type company, other than the very early days. “We’ve trained her to be in the picture for a while and every preparation, she’s put her hand up and performed. A lot of horses can go missing for a season after a big three-year-old year, but she’s fronted up every time.” Horse racing news View the full article

Three of the Post’s seven-strong panel think Colin Keane is the man to beat in Wednesday night’s competition.View the full article

La Crique(NZ) (Vadamos) hasn’t returned to Trentham since she won the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) as a three-year-old, and three years down the track, the star mare will line up as a leading hope in Saturday’s Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m). The Desert Gold was La Crique’s first taste of stakes success and she has scarcely raced out of that company since, winning the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m), Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m), Gr.1 Otaki-WFA Classic (1600m), and most recently, the Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) a fortnight ago. The daughter of Vadamos was fittingly favourite for the feature and after settling back, she had plenty of hurdles to overcome in the running. But, her class prevailed in the finish with a booming run to catch Lux Libertas at the post, a performance more than pleasing for co-trainer Katrina Alexander. “I thought it was a great run from her, just on the sectionals and the way the race was run,” she said. “It was a fairly slow tempo early and I thought there would’ve been more genuine speed, so the fact there was no speed, she slotted back and a bit wide and looked no hope about 100m out, to finish the way she did and win was a huge effort. “This is a shorter turnaround than what we like to do with her, we’re most comfortable giving her three weeks’ between runs which means I don’t have to do a hell of a lot with her in that first week post-race. “I still haven’t had to do a lot with her, she’s trained on really well and she had a nice hit-out yesterday (Tuesday). Other than that, she gets a huge amount of improvement through each run she has, so the need to be too busy with her between runs isn’t there. “It’s just a matter of keeping her well and happy, and she certainly lets us know when she is. I’m really happy with her.” A run of poor barrier draws will continue for La Crique on Saturday, after drawing 12 of 12 in the Auckland Breeders, she has drawn 13 of 13 in the TAB Mufhasa. “I think she’s become the type of horse that likes to be a bit patient early, after having always appeared to be a handy-running horse,” Alexander said. “We seem to always get the wide draws at the moment with her, but I don’t think it will have too much influence on what we do. We had talked about the possibility of sitting a bit closer so she didn’t have so much work to do, but the big long straight at Trentham allows you to get organised. “We’ll have a chat with Michael (McNab, jockey) around the speed map and what we might do on race-day, but I’m not too worried. She’s performed at Trentham before and I think it will suit her.” Despite the draw, La Crique is likely to start a short-priced favourite just as she did three years ago at the same venue, a reflection of her longevity as one of the country’s elite weight-for-age gallopers. “I’m actually really proud that she’s still competing at this level,” said Alexander, who trains the six-year-old alongside her husband Simon. “We said right back when she was a three-year-old that we would train her for longevity. Looking at her physically back then, we knew she was going to take time and she wasn’t going to furnish until she was an older mare. “She’s done it all on natural ability back then, and we’ve had some niggles along the way since, but that’s mainly been down to feet, not body as such. Last season was a classic example of that, we probably never had her at 100 percent, but she just had enough class and ability to continue. “You look through the races that she’s run in, it’s very rare that she has been out of black-type company, other than the very early days. “We’ve trained her to be in the picture for a while and every preparation, she’s put her hand up and performed. A lot of horses can go missing for a season after a big three-year-old year, but she’s fronted up every time.” View the full article

Well-performed speed merchant Babylon Berlin will strip a fitter mare for Saturday’s assignment at Ellerslie. The daughter of All Too Hard will bid to add to her impressive black-type sprinting record when she steps out in the Gr.3 Concorde Stakes (1200m), a race she won in 2022. Babylon Berlin opened her current preparation in convincing fashion when she romped away with the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa last month and then finished fifth in the Gr.3 Counties Bowl (1100m) at Pukekohe. It was a last-start performance that pleased part-owner and co-trainer Ben Foote, who prepares the mare with son Ryan, after a hiccup between outings. “She missed a week’s work after Te Rapa with quite a deep-seated stone bruise, so she was always going to be a bit short,” he said. “I was more than satisfied under the circumstances and she’s done well since.” The seven-year-old will again be ridden by Vinnie Colgan, who has guided the chestnut’s fortunes in her last two appearances. A return to northern headquarters and the set weights and penalties conditions of the Concorde will also be in Babylon Berlin’s favour. “It suits her a lot better than Pukekohe, it seems to be such a long way down that straight, and she loves Ellerslie,” Foote said. On that theme, the Sistema Railway (1200m) on January 25 will be Babylon Berlin’s main aim. “That’s definitely the Group One that we’re targeting, whether she goes to the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m) before than I don’t know at this stage,” Foote said. “She thrives in the summer months, maybe she likes the hotter weather like her trainer.” The mare has already placed twice in the Ellerslie feature, and in the Telegraph, and success at the highest level would be a richly deserved reward for the seven-year-old. Stablemate Rayet(NZ) (Tivaci) will take advantage of a better draw to run at New Plymouth on Thursday in the HTL Group Insurance & Investments Handicap (1400m) in preference to Ellerslie. “She’s a very talented and a speedy mare who tries really hard,” Foote said. The Waikato Stud-bred and raced daughter of Tivaci resumed in style two runs back at Te Rapa and then finished a solid third at Tauranga behind Twain, who has since won again. Meanwhile, The Odyssey(NZ) (Zacinto) will attempt to continue his solid run of form in the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m) at Te Rapa on Saturday week. The son of Zacinto was an easy open handicap winner at Ellerslie three runs back before he placed at Tauranga and then finished fourth in the Gr.3 Counties Cup (2100m). “He was good there and probably made the mistake of going back to the inside,” Foote said. “Michael McNab is booked to ride him in the Waikato Cup and I don’t think there’s any doubt he’ll be a really strong chance.” View the full article

Improved track conditions will present Almakeitgood(NZ) (Ardrossan) with a gilt-edged opportunity to open her winning account at New Plymouth on Thursday. The Ardrossan youngster is among a host of runners for local trainer Allan Sharrock, who labelled the Grangewilliam Stud Maiden (1200m) contender as one of his leading chances. To be ridden by Craig Grylls from a handy gate (four), Almakeitgood was placed in both of her spring outings, finishing third on debut at Wanganui and then ran second at Trentham. “I’d like to think she can win, she goes pretty well and doesn’t like wet ground,” said Sharrock, who also shares in the ownership group. “Both of her runs were on heavy tracks and she’s a really nice filly who is getting better and better all the time.” She is from a family with two-year-old form as her dam Cortado was a winner who also placed in the Listed Ryder Stakes (1200m) while Almakeitgood’s brother Maracatu was a juvenile winner last season for Te Akau. Sharrock is also a part-owner of Borninastorm(NZ) (Bullbars), a five-year-old daughter of Bullbars who is expected to make an impact on debut in the McDonald Real Estate Maiden (1200m). “She took a while to lasso out of the paddock and she’s jumped out well, I like her a bit,” he said. “She’s had no issues, a mate of mine (Paul Foreman) and myself bred her and she went shin sore probably four times. “Because we owned her, we just kept putting her out and playing around with her.” Borninastorm will be champion jockey Lisa Allpress’ sole ride at the meeting to mark her comeback from injury. Stablemates Librero(NZ) (El Roca) and I Don’t(NZ)(Savabeel) will give Sharrock a strong hand in the Revital Fertilisers Handicap (1400m) with Lily Sutherland and Harry Grace their respective jockeys. “Librero has to race well, the Eulogy Stakes (Gr.3, 1600m) is her aim otherwise she’ll go out until the autumn,” Sharrock said. “I Don’t has been working like she can win so it will be interesting to see how see goes.” Meanwhile, top-class performer Ladies Man(NZ) (Zed) will have blinkers on when he takes aim at Saturday’s Gr.1 TAB Mufhasa Classic (1600m) at Trentham. “I think now is the time to put them on at a mile, they should run along at a true speed and we’ve got Opie Bosson on, so that’s a big plus,” he said. “He’ll be heading to the Zabeel Classic (Gr.1, 2000m) and the Herbie Dyke Stakes (Gr.1, 2000m).” Ladies Man was a fast-finishing runner-up two runs back at Tauranga before he returned there to finish a luckless fourth in the Gr.2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m). View the full article

Antino stretches out at Sha Tin. Photo: HKJC Australian trainer Tony Gollan admits the path his star galloper Antino has taken to get to the HK$36 million Group 1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday is one of racing’s bizarre stories. Antino was bred by Hong Kong-based George Kit Ma’s Blossom Trading & Breeding Company Ltd and was subsequently bought for a meagre HK$135,000 by Hong Kong businessman Jeetu Ramchandani who, virtually on a whim, made the online bid at the 2020 New Zealand Ready To Run Sale for two-year-olds. Ramchandani, who admitted he had done zero diligence, pulled up the sales on his computer screen at work and thought the horse looked “nice” and made the winning bid. The New Zealand-bred horse was then sent to Australia to be educated and any thoughts Ramchandani had of sending the gelding to race in Hong Kong would have been difficult when it returned a less than satisfactory veterinary report at the New Zealand sale – a condition which probably explained his bargain price. Fortunately, the veterinary scope report had no bearing on the horse’s performances and he has already banked HK$11 million. Armed with Group 2 and Group 3 victories, Antino broke through for his maiden Group 1 win when Blake Shinn scored an exciting six and a half length victory in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield and followed with a narrow second at his last start in the Group 1 VRC Champions Mile (1600m) at Flemington on 9 November. Gollan said it was remarkable Antino has made his way to Hong Kong. “Obviously the owner bought him online at a ready to run sale from New Zealand and he is a New Zealand-bred horse who has made his way to Queensland in Australia,” Gollan said. “It’s quite remarkable that to get back over here and it’s fantastic for his owner to have the horse racing here on such a big day. It’s a full circle for this horse, that’s for sure. “It’s a good story to have the horse racing here in the owner’s home town.” Gollan knows Sunday’s race is another step-up on what Antino has contested in the past with the field containing a strong mix of top local and international runners. The Queenslander admits he doesn’t know much about the form of the other international runners and how their form compares with Antino. “I can draw a little bit of a line through some of the horse’s form, but the market is usually better informed that I am and the market says it’s a very open race,” he said. “The market has been open for a while and we knew we were a good enough chance in what looked to be an open Hong Kong Mile without them having their local champion Golden Sixty.” Gollan admitted the retirement of the legendary Golden Sixty, international racing’s highest-ever prizemoney earner, was a major reason to make the decision to contest the Hong Kong Mile. “It’s a different style Hong Kong Mile this year and my job was to make sure to get him to the races on Sunday in good as shape as he was at Flemington in the (Group 1) Champions Mile (1600m),” he said. “If we can do that, the market shows we can be competitive. “He has pretty well matched it with the best milers all spring.” Asked if Antino would have made the trip to Hong Kong if Golden Sixty was still racing, Gollan said: “It would have made things a little bit different, wouldn’t it. It’s a hypothetical question but would I have come here to take on a $1.40 local? Maybe not.” Shinn, who has ridden with great success in Hong Kong, is back on Antino after missing his last start because of suspension and was replaced by Mark Zahra who rode the gelding to a narrow second in the Group 1 VRC Champions Mile (1600m) to specialist miler and eight-time Group 1 winner Mr Brightside. Gollan said it just wasn’t an advantage to have Shinn on because of his local Sha Tin knowledge, but he knows the traits of the horse who can make things difficult by being tardy out of the barriers and getting back in his races. A fast finisher, he’ll appreciate both a strong tempo and a firm track. Horse racing news View the full article