Wandering Eyes

Godolphin already have a live 1000 Guineas contender in TDN Rising Star Wild Illusion (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), but they now have another by that remarkable sire in Soliloquy (GB) who belied inexperience to make all under William Buick in Wednesday’s G3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn S. at Newmarket. Sent off the 4-1 joint-second favourite with positive vibes emanating from the town, the bay homebred was a touch free initially in a slender lead. Pressed by the other joint-second favourite Altyn Orda (Ire) (Kyllachy {GB}) running down into the “dip”, the mile Ascot novice stakes winner pulled away to score comfortably by 1 3/4 lengths, with a neck back to Eirene (GB) (Declaration of War) in third. Charlie Appleby, who worked last year’s G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Wild Illusion before racing, is likely to head into the May 6 mile Classic double-handed now. “I was confident after I watched Wild Illusion at lunchtime, as they had been doing some nice work together,” he explained. “Physically, she has done well from two to three and is a smart filly. She’s not in the [1000] Guineas, but obviously I’ll speak to Sheikh Mohammed and I see no reason why not to supplement her. She has only really come in the last three to four weeks, but has really turned the corner. I had thought originally that going further than a mile would suit, but since the early spring she has got stronger and showed plenty of speed there. She could go the Guineas route first and work from there.” Jockey William Buick added, “That was a nice performance. She had been pleasing Charlie and everyone at home since early in the year and she couldn’t have done much more. She was going at her own pace and handled the track well.” SOLILOQUY (GB), f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Dysphonia (Aus) (MSW & G1SP-Aus, $446,493), by Lonhro (Aus). O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Charlie Appleby; J-William Buick. £34,026. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, £41,843. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

Anna Nerium had won over this trip on the July Course in July prior to creating a 40-1 shock when taking the G3 Dick Poole Fillies’ S. dropping back a furlong at Salisbury in September. Ninth on her only subsequent outing in the G3 Oh So Sharp S. over this course and distance the following month, the chestnut put some fair colts to the sword here to become the first filly to win this since the eventual 1000 Guineas heroine Mrs McArdy (GB) in 1977. Jockey Tom Marquand was surprised and impressed at the winner, who holds an entry in the May 6 fillies’s Classic. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, as she’s not very big but she proved last year that she’s tough and she absolutely powered away up the hill. She shocked me a bit with the turn of foot she showed. I think at the end of last year it all got to her a little bit. She travelled sweetly in behind and I kicked a bit too soon in the end.” Richard Hannon added, “There was nothing flukey about that group 3 win and there was nothinig flukey about that,” he said. “If you win a trial like that, you have to take your chance [in the Guineas].” Given her stout pedigree, it is a surprise that Anna Nerium is achieving so much over this kind of trip but her full-brother Piping Rock (GB) also proved highly effective at seven furlongs when winning the G3 Horris Hill S. She is also a half-sister to three other black-type performers including the stable’s G3 Prix d’Aumale winner and G2 Oaks d’Italia runner-up Middle Club and the G3 Prix de Royaumont third Anna Mona (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}). Another of the dam’s daughters Coplow (GB) (Manduro {Ger}) has produced two useful fillies to race for this stable in last year’s G3 Prestige S. winner Billesdon Brook (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) and Listed Upavon S. scorer Billesdon Bess (GB) (Dick Turpin {Ire}). The second dam is the G2 Preis der Diana-winning German champion 2-year-old and 3-year-old filly Anna Paola, whose descendants include the GI Flower Bowl Invitational S. heroine Ave (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and MG1SW sires Epaulette (Aus) (Commands {Aus}) and Helmet (Aus) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}). BET365 EUROPEAN FREE H.-Listed, £50,000, NEW, 4-18, 3yo, 7fT, 1:26.34, gd. 1–ANNA NERIUM (GB), 123, f, 3, by Dubawi (Ire) 1st Dam: Anna Oleanda (Ire), by Old Vic (GB) 2nd Dam: Anna Paola (Ger), by Prince Ippi (Ger) 3rd Dam: Antwerpen (Ger), by Waldcanter (Ger) (300,000gns RNA Ylg ’16 TATOCT). O-Mrs R J McCreery; B-Stowell Hill Ltd (GB); T-Richard Hannon; J-Tom Marquand. £28,355. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng, 6-3-0-1, $80,380. *Full to Piping Rock (GB), GSW-Eng; and 1/2 to Middle Club (GB) (Fantastic Light), GSW-Fr, GSP-Ity & MSP-Eng, $254,972; Anna Mona (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), GSP-Fr; and Anna Royal (GB) (Royal Dragon), SP-Ger & Ity. 2–Finniston Farm (GB), 124, c, 3, Helmet (Aus)–Logic (GB), by Slip Anchor (GB). (65,000gns Ylg ’16 TAOCT). O-The Famous Five Partnership. £10,750. 3–Another Batt (Ire), 124, g, 3, Windsor Knot (Ire)–Mrs Batt (Ire), by Medecis (GB). O-Excel Racing (Another Batt). £5,380. Margins: 3, 3/4, 3 1/4. Odds: 25.00, 9.00, 16.00. Also Ran: Staxton (GB), Hey Jonesy (Ire), Nebo (Ire), Great Prospector (Ire), Snazzy Jazzy (Ire), Folk Tale (Ire), Rufus King (GB). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

Levendi (Aus) (Pierro {Aus}), winner of the G1 Australian Derby on Apr. 7, will undergo surgery to remove bone chips, according to Racing.com. The colt would have been expected to target the key middle distance or staying races in the spring, but a campaign will hinge on how he recovers, said trainer Peter Gelagotis. “Unfortunately Levendi will undergo arthroscopy surgery to remove bone chips,” Gelagotis said in a statement. “He will be in the best hands at Werribee Equine Centre and naturally this could put his spring campaign on hold depending on the recovery time required from this procedure. Naturally the horse’s welfare and interest come first and we appreciate the public support over the last six months, which has seen Levendi elevate himself to the premier staying 3-year-old in Australia.” View the full article

Showcasing (GB) will not longer shuttle to Haunui Farm in New Zealand, according to breednet.com.au. Whitsbury Manor Stud, which stands Showcasing in the Northern Hemisphere, has purchased the 50% share in the horse previously owned by New Zealand-based shareholders. Showcasing, whose progeny in the Northern Hemisphere are headed by champion sprinter Quiet Reflection (GB) and graded/group winners like Prize Exhibit (GB) and Tasleet (GB), has left 10 stakes winners thus far in Australia and New Zealand, six of those group winners, headed by the G2 Wakefield S. winner Showboy (NZ). View the full article

The Champions Day features were decimated by withdrawals of all three Coolmore entrants and local hope Exultant on Wednesday but the Jockey Club will not add runners to boost the depleted fields for the three Group Ones on April 29. Coolmore informed the Club that its three horses would not make the trip and when War Decree was withdrawn from the Audemars Piguet QE II Cup and when trainer Tony Cruz took Exultant out later in the day it left the HK$24 million feature with just eight runners for... View the full article

Magic Millions will offer a diverse group of weanlings at its National Weanling Sale May 24 and 25 at the Gold Coast, with a record 107 individual sires represented among the 542 youngsters catalogued. Leading sires like Fastnet Rock (Aus), More Than Ready, Pierro (Aus), Sebring (Aus), Snitzel (Aus), So You Think (NZ) and Written Tycoon (Aus) are represented, as are this season’s standout first-season sires Zoustar (Aus) and Spirit of Boom (Aus). The 22 first-season sires with weanlings on offer include Vancouver (Aus), Pride of Dubai (Aus), Press Statement (Aus), No Nay Never, Kermadec (NZ) and Exosphere (Aus). The Weanling Sale will kick off Magic Millions’s National Sale Series, which runs until June 7. “We are delighted to release the first catalogue of the National Sale Series,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said. “The sale has produced countless pinhook success stories who have gone on to star at the yearling sales and ultimately the track. Pierro, Zoustar, Peggy Jean, Redzel, Volpe Veloce and Seasons Bloom are examples of the quality racehorses who have emerged first at the National Weanling Sale.” View the full article

Dansili (GB) (Danehill–Hasili {Ire}, by Kahyasi {Ire}), sire of 20 Group 1 winners and among the top sires in Europe by lifetime group winners, has been pensioned from stud duty at Banstead Manor Stud due to declining fertility at age 22. Dansili, out of the legendary producer Hasili, was a Group 2 winner and narrowly missed in Group 1 company on a few occasions. He went on to outdo himself as a sire, however, his leading progeny including the King George winner Harbinger (GB), standout mare The Fugue (GB) and global Group 1 winner Flintshire (GB). “With the support of loyal breeders, Dansili rose from modest beginnings to become one of Europe’s leading sires,” said Banstead Manor Stud Director Simon Mockridge. “He has established himself as an incredibly consistent sire of high-class performers. His influence will be felt at Juddmonte for many years to come through his daughters in the broodmare band and via his exciting son Bated Breath, whose career has closely echoed that of his sire to date. Dansili will now enjoy a well-deserved retirement at Banstead Manor Stud.” View the full article

Clarton Super picks his way in search of next Trophy View the full article

Excalibur aiming for another win at Elite level View the full article

NEWMARKET, UK–It was another all-or-nothing session; and once again, in what is proving a sticky round of sales for the sector, there was plenty of nothing. But here was a colt who had it all—from the last crop of the great Scat Daddy, and prepared for the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up by the great Willie Browne. And nobody had a better idea of the stakes involved in his breeze on Monday than the man in the saddle, John Egan, who had imported Lot 71 in partnership with Robert Moss from Keeneland last September for $270,000. It did not take long for those involved to know that those stakes, high as they were, were going to pay off. But once the bidding reached 400,000gns, it became a stand-off between just two camps: on the left of auctioneer Edmond Mahony, Jeremy Noseda standing with Amer Abdulaziz and other members of the Phoenix Thoroughbreds team; and, lurking in the stairwell opposite, Charlie Gordon-Watson. Time after time, as the pauses between each 25,000gns increment grew longer and longer, each imagined they had finally finished off the other. But each kept rebounding off the ropes: Gordon-Watson, phone to his ear, would eventually pop up again to wave a catalogue; and Noseda, on a signal from the Phoenix CEO, would essay one more brief nod. Only when Gordon-Watson went to 800,000gns—the third highest price achieved at this sale—did Abdulaziz walk away. “He has been bought for Dr Johnny Hon and his global brand,” Gordon-Watson explained. “And he’ll be joining Ed Dunlop. I didn’t think he’d cost that much. I thought we nearly had him at 600. But I’d said the horse might cost ‘500 plus-plus-plus’, so it turned out that each ‘plus’ was another 100! But the stallion’s obviously amazing, the mare’s done well and it goes back to that good Coolmore family of Together (Ire) and Jan Vermeer (Ire). And he looks a very fast horse.” The dam is Alegendinmyownmind (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), a daughter of Grade II winner Midnight Line (Kris S). “It was a good price,” Egan said. “And you never really know how far they’ll go once they get to that kind of level. But listen, I think they’ve got themselves a very nice horse. He’s done everything right all the way along, and he did a very progressive breeze—just the kind I’d like to see, if I wanted to buy a breeze-up horse. I couldn’t pull him up, thought I’d end up on the Cambridge Road. I don’t want to break the clock, I want them to go on and be racehorses, and I knew this was a horse that was going to go places. You want them to enjoy themselves, as you would with a horse having its first run. I’ve been going to Keeneland the last number of years. And I’m sure I’ll be going back.” Keeneland pinhooks have become a mainstay of this market over the last couple of years but the problems evident in the two European sales already staged this spring were again manifest at this more exalted level. True, the very next lot through the ring, a Dabirsim colt consigned by Powerstown Stud (Lot 72), was transformed from €90,000 Arqana buyback to a 250,000gns investment by Blandford Bloodstock. Moreover there is, of course, another session to follow Wednesday night. But the indices for the evening were not encouraging. Though the session catalogue had expanded from 76 to 88, 20 withdrawals meant that exactly the same number of horses were offered as last year. Of those 66 only 38 were sold, down from 49, for an aggregate 5,222,500gns—which was 25% down on 6,955,000gns in 2017. The average held steady, down 3% from 141,939gns to 137,434gns, but the median crashed 32% from 110,000gns to 75,000gns. Anyone would envy the touch pulled off with lot 33 by David Egan and his wife Henrietta, who turned over a More Than Ready filly—unsold at Keeneland last September at $45,000—to Katie Walsh at Greenhills Farm, and sold her here to Anthony Stroud on behalf of Godolphin for 500,000gns. But how many of us would match his modesty? “I was selling the horse beside her,” Egan shrugged. “So it was more dumb-ass luck than anything I suppose.” That’s all very well, but that hardly explains why the daughter of a Grade I winner in Sis City (Slew City Slew) should have failed to sell at Keeneland. Sis City won the Ashland S., as well as two Grade II prizes. “She’s just a gorgeous filly who was very well bought as a yearling, especially with her page,” said Walsh, who made such an auspicious start to her career as a consignor when producing MGSW Caspar Netscher (GB) (Dutch Art {GB}) at this sale, sold for just 65,000gns, in 2011. “I’ve had her since January and she just has it, she’s a natural, very straightforward. I’m delighted for David and Hen, and also that Anthony bought her. I hope she’s very lucky.” “John [Gosden], David [Loder] and I thought she breezed really well,” Stroud said. “She vetted well, the time was exceptional, and she’s a strong filly by a very good stallion out of a Grade I winner. Katie does a great job and we thought this was the one tonight—the bull’s eye.” When first starting out in the game, Alex Elliott and Simon Callaghan must have dreamed of the kind of moment they shared—still with youth on their side, after all—when standing together to secure an Animal Kingdom colt for 420,000gns. At $200,000 at Keeneland last September, Lot 32 was a brave pinhook by Tally Ho Stud but proved to be one of characteristic acuity. “We lived together for a while out at Hollywood Park, when I was assistant to Eoin Harty,” Elliott said. “But this is the first time Simon has come over for this sale. The horse came highly recommended. He was a big turn as a yearling but he deserves his money today: his breeze was fantastic, he vetted great, he’s a beautiful horse who had a big pedigree update. His half-brother Paved (Quality Road) is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, who also have horses with Simon, became the first filly to win the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate and has added to that since with some Grade III form.” Callaghan rates the filly as “a really nice turf horse for Del Mar for the summer onwards.” The top lot was not the only Scat Daddy collector’s item on the night. His son, consigned as Lot 5 by Kilminfoyle House as agent, will break new ground after fetching 375,000gns from Mark Richards and Nick Columb of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. “He’s the first [Scat Daddy] we’ve managed to get for Hong Kong—we’re through the glass ceiling,” said Columb. “As someone said the other day, he’s the Snitzel of the Northern Hemisphere. This looks like he’ll be a very quick horse, and he’ll suit Hong Kong conditions. And though he’s big and strong he’s still a bit immature, he’ll strengthen up. He’s only a baby, a late April foal. He showed a great action and a good attitude, and for our purposes he’s exactly what we want.” A Scat Daddy filly meanwhile raised 240,000gns as Lot 54, having been turned round from Keeneland last year at €130,000 by Yeomanstown Stud. The winning bid was made by Chris Dwyer, acting on behalf of Sheikh Rashed bin Humain, who will send her to Bob Baffert in the U.S. Alastair Donald is hoping lightning will strike twice with another impressive Keeneland pinhook, Lot 44, after giving 240,000gns for Grove Stud’s $72,000 Stormy Atlantic colt. Three years ago he bought a colt from the same consignor, by the same sire, for 200,000gns—and, as Stormy Antarctic (GB), he won the Craven S. up the road a year later for Ed Walker and owner P.K. Siu. He was duly acting for the same connections here. “He’s a bit of a clone,” Donald said. “I was hoping he might slip through the net, because he didn’t breeze very well—he stumbled and he’s a big gangly horse to be going over that ground. But the consignor knows when he has a big one and he was pretty high on him.” Donald had been outbid by Dwayne Woods for the first lot through the ring, a model pinhook to set the tone for an evening of highs and lows. There was an immediate feelgood factor—following the withdrawal of Lot 1—for Johnny Hassett of the Bloodstock Connection when Lot 2, from the first crop of Moohaajim (himself a graduate of this sale at 200,000gns in 2012) ballooned from €16,000 to 145,000gns. “I tried to buy him twice,” Hassett said. “They bought him back [at Fairyhouse last September] because they wanted €30,000, which I didn’t have for him. But then he showed up again in the Open Sale and I got him for 16—handy money, or handier anyway. I can’t say I was thinking Craven Sale then. But every time we went to work him, he always showed up. It was kind of Darwinian, first I was thinking Goresbridge and then Guineas and then we ended up here. A nice thing about it is that my lead rider Pat McLoughlin has a piece of him.” Woods had no doubt that the horse had evolved into an elite specimen. “Absolutely stunning,” he said. “I’ve seen every colt on the premises and in my view he’s the one you just couldn’t fault, you really couldn’t pick a hole in him. And it was a lovely breeze, low to the ground.” View the full article

A colt from the first crop of Alpha (hip 367) breezed a quarter-mile in a bullet :20 3/5 Tuesday during the second of six under-tack previews for next week’s OBS April Sale. Bred in New York by Sequel Stallions, who stands Alpha, the bay colt is out of Forever Valentine (Silver Deputy), who also produced SW Force (Flatter) and GSP Beau’s Valentine (Alphabet Soup). Hip 367 is the only horse in the sale consigned by Jose Munoz. “I usually buy a few horses, one or two in partnership and one or two on my own,” said Munoz. “I’ve been doing this for a while. I train them myself in a little barn at Eclipse Training Center, where the de Merics train. I keep mine there with Vicki Donnon.” The Mexico native, who has been living in Ocala for almost 20 years, continued, “I have two others at home. One was supposed to come in March, but I had to scratch him from the sale. He will come back in June. He is a good-looking colt by The Lumber Guy and is a New York-bred. I also have an Ontario-bred by Trappe Shot going to June.” Munoz picked up the colt for just $18,000 at the OBS October Sale. “I thought the price would be higher, considering Alpha did pretty good on the racetrack,” Munoz said. “To tell you the truth, I was really happy when I got him. I liked that he was by Alpha, a fresh sire who performed good on the track. Secondly, he is a very athletic horse.” This is the first crop of juveniles for Alpha (Bernardini), a Godolphin homebred whose career highlights include a dead-heat victory in the 2012 GI Travers S. and a win in the 2013 GI Woodward S. “I don’t know to start with how a horse like him started in New York. I thought he should be in Kentucky,” Munoz said of the stallion. “At first, I thought the Alphas would be too expensive for me, but I ended up buying him. There was another one I liked a lot, but I didn’t like the idea of having two horses by the same sire.” Munoz has been very pleased with the way the colt has developed from October to now. “He’s always been a smart horse,” Munoz said. “He might get a little bit tough on the track sometimes, but he’s got a pretty good mind and he’s always been a sound horse.” Munoz said he was not at all surprised by the colt’s snappy work Tuesday. “I did [expect that type of work],” he said. “We never asked him for all he had in the previous workouts, but we knew he was way faster than that. He had two or three eighth works and two or three 3/16ths and maybe two quarters and he always did good.” As for why he chose to breeze Hip 367 over a quarter-mile as opposed to an eighth, Munoz said, “You have to have faith in what you do. I know this horse pretty well and I knew he would perform well at a quarter no matter what. You have to take your chances sometimes. For a small consignor like I am, you have to show a little bit extra. There are many horses at this sale that have more pedigree than mine, so you have to take your chances sometimes.” The bullet furlong work belonged to Hip 370, a filly by Street Boss out of For Passion (Not For Love), who is consigned by Grassroots Training and Sales. The under-tack show continues through Saturday with sessions beginning daily at 8 a.m. The OBS April sale will be held Apr. 24 through 27. View the full article

A colt from the final crop of Scat Daddy (lot 71), a graduate of the program of the legendary pinhooker Willie Browne of Mocklershill, is the new top lot at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale after being bought by Charlie Gordon Watson for 800,000gns. The dark bay was a $270,000 Keeneland September yearling. View the full article

Godolphin went to 500,000gns to secure a filly by More Than Ready out of GI Ashland S. winner Sis City (Slew City Slew) (lot 33) during the opening session of the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up Sale on Tuesday evening. That transaction came one lot after Kaleem Shah, through agent Alex Elliott, spent 420,000gns on an Animal Kingdom half-brother to El Camino Real Derby winner Paved (Quality Road). View the full article

Sam Lima has been an ardent supporter of Canadian horse racing in a variety of capacities for more than 50 years and now he is being rewarded for it with a special Sovereign Award to be presented Thursday night in Toronto. The 88-year-old will stand alongside the best in Canadian horse racing in 2017 while being recognized for his ongoing contributions as a horseman and an advocate for backstretch workers. Lima will be only the 11th recipient of the special Sovereign Award and the first one in 11 years. Lima has owned horses for 55 years in addition to working tirelessly as an executive of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of Ontario. He has also been the longtime President of the Toronto Thoroughbred Racing Club (TTRC). Lima was nominated for the Sovereign Award by the Jockey Club of Canada stewards, although he doesn’t know who specifically put forward his name. When asked what it means to receive the award, Lima responded with his typical candor. “It means a lot to me,” he said. “All these years–I should have got an award a long time ago. No, no, it’s true. What can I say? It’s a great feeling to receive an award like this.” His wife, Frances, and daughter, Carolyn, the eldest of the Limas’ four children, are especially proud of him for being recognized with the award. Carolyn helps Lima with his work with the TTRC. “He’s been on top of the world,” Carolyn said. “He’s so excited about this. Racing is truly his passion. It’s really the love of the sport and promoting Thoroughbred racing as best as he can. That’s what he encourages through his racing club. He’s still going strong at his age. “He never missed a meeting at the HBPA in over 50 years–maybe one,” Frances said. In 2011, the TTRC presented him with a small booklet detailing many of his accomplishments. It was entitled The Life and Racing Times of Sam Lima. It was summed up at the end with two words: “A LEGEND!” TTRC directors Patrick de Caires and Anthony Ceccanese, who co-authored the book, wrote: “His time and effort to help aid Thoroughbred racing is truly remarkable and difficult to imitate.” “I think a lot of people still affiliated with coming out to his club meetings have recognized how he has been an ambassador for racing,” Carolyn said. Frances added, “As a family man, he took his children every week to the races and his mother, who lived with us, too.” As an owner of a smoke shop that had many racing people as patrons, Lima became fascinated with horses. When his business was expropriated in 1962, he started up a billiard lounge. A year later, he took the plunge into buying and racing Thoroughbreds. “It was a dream of his,” Frances said. “He always wanted to buy a horse. So he bought a house, a horse and a car and had a baby [the couple’s fourth child].” She laughed as she recalled this memory, which only a horseperson could truly appreciate. It would take him only six years to reach the pinnacle of Canadian horse racing, the Queen’s Plate, as an owner. How it happened in 1969 with Fire n Desire–a horse he had claimed for $12,500 as a 3-year-old–is the stuff of horse racing lore. Lima had his eye on the horse as a 2-year-old racing in Montreal and put in a claim for the son of Nearctic, who was running at Fort Erie Racetrack in his sophomore season. A former jockey, Morris Rose, who once won five races for Al Capone in Kentucky, wanted to go in with Lima for a third, but didn’t want to tell his wife. So Lima put up the entire money (with Rose a silent partner) and claimed the horse, who ultimately won the race. In Fire n Desire’s first start for Lima, a change in riding tactics resulted in a last-place finish facing $20,000 claimer–but the result did not deter Lima from entering the horse in the Queen’s Plate Trial. Fire n Desire, dismissed at 53-1 on the tote board that day, beat 11 other entrants. Lima had $200 to win on the horse. “I was a big bettor at one time, not now,” Sam explained. Fire n Desire, trained by Larry Moorhead, became known as the Cinderella horse and Lima’s improbable story became a focus of attention leading up to the Queen’s Plate. “E.P. Taylor never even came near me because I claimed his horse,” Lima said, speaking of the legendary Canadian owner/breeder who built Woodbine Racetrack and campaigned the great Northern Dancer. “E.P. Taylor would not look at me.” The Plate was run less than a week after the Plate Trial. By then, Rose had publicly proclaimed he owned a third of the horse and his wife, ironically enough, wore a mink coat for the Plate. Sitting in the private box he owned and accompanied by his family, Lima watched as Fire n Desire ran a credible third, depleted from his previous race. But once again, Lima was not deterred. Lima decided to take a shot in the Manitoba Derby, shipping the horse to the Western Canadian province for Assiniboia Downs’s signature race. It was run the day before the historic walk on the moon by Neil Armstrong. It was going to be one small step for man and one giant leap for Fire n Desire, the favorite at just under 1-2 with the Downs’ star jockey Dick Armstrong aboard. Fire n Desire–one of five horses sired by Nearctic in the race–and Icy Song, the second choice in the field, battled from the opening quarter mile until the finish with neither horse giving up ground. In the end, Fire n Desire won by a head. The headline in one of the paper’s the next day said it all: “Fire n Desire Had Just Enough Of Both.” Lima would go on to have many future successes while maintaining a small-scale operation, including George of Canada, a $12,500 claim who went on to be voted the TTRC’s Claiming Horse Of The Year in 1975. What Lima did for horsemen, in particularl those on the backstretch, may be his greatest legacy. As a vice president of the HBPA, he battled through many political wars in the 1990s when the Thoroughbred industry in Ontario was struggling. Sam played a vital role in the construction of a dormitory at Woodbine to house backstretch workers and fought tirelessly for Fort Erie Racetrack, which is the annual site for the Prince of Wales S.–the second leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. Lima proudly wears a ring given to him for 25 years with the HBPA. He’s been with the HBPA 46 years and said he is contemplating retirement after this season. In its heyday, the Toronto Thoroughbred Racing Club took trips to various racetracks throughout North America and had regular meetings at a swanky Toronto hotel. “We used to go all over the place and, you know what, we used to make money from the memberships and the trips,” Lima said with pride. “We used to go to the best restaurants.” On Thursday night, at a posh celebration honoring the best in Canadian horse racing in 2017, Sam Lima will rightfully stand proud for all he has done and accept a richly deserved award. View the full article

4.45 Newmarket, Mdn, £10,000, 3yo, f, 8fT AWARD WINNING (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}) is another intriguing John Gosden newcomer, this time for Messrs Magnier, Tabor, Smith and Jooste. A 720,000gns foal at nearby Tattersalls December, she is a half-sister to the GSWs Royal Bench (Ire) (Whipper), Memphis Tennessee (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}) and Mayhem (Ire) (Whipper) from the excellent family of Cerulean Sky (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}). 7.45 Kempton, Cond, £6,000, 3yo, 7f (AWT) WUFUD (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is a half-brother to Shadwell’s triple group 1-winning sprinting sensation Muhaarar (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) who debuts in those silks for John Gosden. He is joined by the yard’s similarly-unraced Mr Marrakech (GB) (Scat Daddy). View the full article

Three-time champion sire and six-time Group 1-winning racehorse Giant’s Causeway (Storm Cat–Mariah’s Storm, by Rahy) passed away Monday night at the age of 21 at Ashford Stud after a brief illness, Coolmore America announced Tuesday. Known as “The Iron Horse” for his durability and consistency on the racetrack, the Aidan O’Brien trainee was an unbeaten Group 1 winner at two and captured five consecutive top-level races in Europe as a sophomore. He closed his career with a gallant runner-up finish behind Tiznow (Cee’s Tizzy) in the 2000 GI Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs. He retired with a record of 9-4-0 from 13 starts and earnings of $3,078,989. Giant’s Causeway stood one season at Coolmore Ireland before relocating to Ashford in Kentucky to meet the demand of U.S. breeders. He made an immediate impact with his first crop, which included champion Shamardal, unbeaten G1 2000 Guineas winner Footstepsinthesand, G1 Coronation S. winner Maids Causeway and North American Grade I winners Aragorn and My Typhoon. Giant’s Causeway ultimately became the first horse since Danzig to top the general sires list on three different occasions. Throughout his eighteen years at stud, Giant’s Causeway sired 31 Grade/Group 1 winners worldwide, and has become known as a top broodmare sire and a sire of sires. “To foal, raise and race a horse of Giant’s Causeway’s caliber is every owner/breeder’s dream, so for him to stand as a stallion at his birthplace, and go on to be a three-time champion sire is nothing short of sensational,” commented Coolmore America manager Dermot Ryan. “Giant’s Causeway was a once in a lifetime horse, and I would like to thank the owners, the Magnier and Tabor families, for entrusting us with his stud career. I would also like to extend my gratitude to all of the stallion handlers at Ashford past and present for providing the highest level of care for Giant, in particular Blaise Benjamin and Richard Barry. He will be a huge loss not just to us, but to the industry as a whole.” View the full article

The racetrack community is coming together to support exercise rider Adrian Valenzuela, who sustained a spinal-cord injury in an accident during morning workouts March 31. Santa Anita will be hosting a pancake breakfast and raffle at Clockers’ Corner April 19 at 10 a.m. as a fundraiser to support Adrian and his family. Adrian is 21 years old and was attending Pasadena City College in the afternoons after riding and working in the mornings, with his father, Martin Valenzuela. Adrian also rode at the Los Alamitos nighttime meeting in 2016, winning one race from eight mounts. He was injured on the morning of March 31 when one of the bandages on the front legs of a horse he was working became unraveled, causing the horse to fall. Adrian will be undergoing rehabilitation in the coming days. “I’ve met [Adrian] a few times,” said Santa Anita Vice President of racing Rick Hammerle, who helped spearhead the pancake breakfast. “He’s a good, happy-go-lucky kid, well-liked around the racetrack and the Valenzuela name is so synonymous with Southern California Racing; they are racetrack family. Added Hammerle, “The family is so appreciative that the racetrack community is coming together to do this [breakfast and raffle]. I talked to his dad yesterday, and he said, ‘Thanks so much.’ He was just happy to hear people were thinking about his son.” Tickets to the breakfast are $10 each, with 100% of the proceeds going to Adrian. Tickets are available at Clockers’ Corner, Santa Anita’s track kitchen, the Santa Anita Racing Office, Los Alamitos Racetrack, and San Luis Rey Downs. Tickets will also be available during the morning of the breakfast. In addition, Santa Anita will host a raffle and silent auction at the event. Raffle tickets are $5 each and will be offered in advance as well. Del Mar and Santa Anita have already donated one of their suites for a day for the auction; other raffle items include a trip to Lake Tahoe, a TV, golf clubs, a drone, racetrack memorabilia and much more. “Everybody’s invited, come after training, it’s casual, we made it simple,” Hammerle said. “We printed 3,000 pancake tickets and we will be raffling off a lot of stuff; it’s planned on a non-racing day so there’s really no rush for people [from Santa Anita] to go home, and it’s late enough for everyone at Los Alamitos to finish their chores early and get over here and be a part of it too, all can be involved to help support Adrian.” If you’re local and want to donate an item to be auctioned off, stop by the racing office or call Ami Atkinson at 626-574-6471. View the full article

A fortnight of selling at Inglis’s Riverside Stables in Sydney drew to a close on Tuesday with the third and final session of the Inglis Australian Broodmare and Weanling Sale. Topping trade on Tuesday was the 4-year-old Snitzel (Aus) mare Wilcannia (Aus) (lot 510), who was bought by Boomer Bloodstock and Daandine Stud carrying her first foal, which is a member of the first crop of Flying Artie (Aus). Craig Rounsefell of Boomer Bloodstock also teamed with Daandine to buy the dam of the 2016 G1 Golden Slipper winner Capitalist (Aus) (Written Tycoon {Aus}) at auction in 2012. Wilcannia was consigned by Olly and Amber Tait’s Twin Hills Stud as part of its first public consignment. Twin Hills, which also last week announced it would add proven sire Smart Missile (Aus) to its roster next year alongside Odyssey Moon (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), enjoyed a perfect four-for-four clearance rate at the sale. Olly Tait said, “The Snitzel was a lovely mare and she had a good profile, there was plenty of competition for her so we were thrilled to get that amount for her. I think she’s going to Queensland so I wish them the very best of luck. We’ve sold some, we’ve bought some, the business always keeps moving and we have to keep investing.” Click here for a recent TDN feature on Olly Tait and Twin Hills. Paul Fudge of Waratah Thoroughbreds was dispersing his breeding stock at Inglis this week, and John Freyer took advantage when scooping up the three-time winner Tap This (Tapit) (lot 474) for A$165,000. The daughter of the stakes-winning Stormy Publisher (Arg) (Bernstein) is barren after being covered by Air Force Blue in her first season at stud last year. In the same situation was Windradyne (GB) (Sepoy {Aus}) (lot 512), who was barren after being covered by Fastnet Rock (Aus) in her first season last year. The soon-to-be 4-year-old has some good genes to gamble on, however, being a half-sister to the champion sprinter Sole Power (GB) (Kyllachy {GB}) and two other stakes horses. She was a 550,000gns buyback as a Tattersalls October Yearling and was picked up by Randwick Bloodstock Agency for A$140,000 on Tuesday. The Australian Broodmare and Weanling Sale closed with 471 lots sold for an average of A$30,613, a clearance rate of 80% and a gross of A$14,418,550. With the conclusion of the Easter period of sales, A$277,496,400 has been traded at Inglis sales thus far in 2018, up 9.25% from this stage last year. Of that, A$235,370,000 has been traded in the yearling market, up 11% on last year. View the full article

Should Headway (GB) (Havana Gold {Ire}) emerge triumphant in next month’s G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas S., he will represent the culmination of more than 40 years of thoughtful endeavour by the Player family. Whatton Manor Stud, halfway between Grantham and Nottingham, was “about 50 acres of nothing and a dozen cow boxes” when Peter Player first set eyes on it back in the early 1980s. Now, with his son Ed at the helm, it is 10 times the size and a thoroughly modern operation. “Complacency is a terrible thing in any business and none more so than in the horse business,” says Player. “Nowadays we have all the fields mapped by satellites, soil analysis, the grasses analysed to see how good or bad it is, and we’ve changed the feed. If you think you can’t improve, you might as well pack it up.” Player snr forged links with some of the most cherished figures of the age, working for Douglas Gray at Sir David Wills’s Hadrian Stud as well as starting his own business on a shoestring in Newmarket. “In about 1972 my wife and I managed to rent a tiny bit of ground from the Duke Of Sutherland,” he explained. “Literally one mare cost 100 quid, another 300 and that was it—all on about nine acres. Talk about The Good Life, that’s about what it was. We were down there all hours and eventually paid for horses in training by baling straw and then selling it into Newmarket. One year I think we carted 17,000 bales, all by ourselves.” It was an association with Sir Henry Cecil that really saw Player’s fortunes change. “We had a share of a horse with William Hastings-Bass and Henry came down one day and said ‘I’m appalled to see you’ve got a horse with William, why won’t you have a horse with me? We’re great friends, am I no good?'” “I’d said that I couldn’t afford it and Henry said, in his usual sort of way, ‘what can you afford?’ I mentioned some ridiculous sum of money and he said ‘any more horses you have with me, that’s what I’m going to charge you.'” Most notably came Upend (GB) (Main Reef {GB}), who Cecil trained to win the G3 St Simon S. and who has produced the likes of Group 1-placed Musicanna (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) and grandsons such as Hungarian sprinting sensation Overdose (GB) (Starborough {GB}) and G1 Arkle Chase winner Contraband (GB) (Red Ransom). “At the beginning of the 80s an aunt of mine suddenly out of the blue said ‘I’m unmarried, I’ve got no children, I’m going to leave the farm to you up here in Nottinghamshire but in the meantime would you like to come up here and help me run it?’ The Willses were cutting back and when we went up there, [Sir David] said, ‘would you like to take my mares up there?’ James Wigan arrived, we kept some for him and that went well, and then we kept some for George Strawbridge. In that time, we bred Eagle Mountain (GB) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) for James, and Moonlight Cloud (GB) (Invincible Spirit {GB}) and Journey (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) were both bred at Whatton for Mr Strawbridge.” He continues: “It’s an awful lot to do with luck, especially when you read about people who’ve not had a winner in over 30 years of owning horses. It was lucky that it wasn’t long in the early days before we realised that Sharpen Up was a sleeper, rather in a similar vein to perhaps Siyouni (Fr). He was down about three or four thousand and Siyouni started at €7,000. We managed to buy some shares in him and it made a hell of difference when he rose to the giddy heights of 20 or 25,000, which in those days was quite a lot of money. Our policy is to invest in either shares or breeding rights and luckily we saw the potential of Siyouni, and Showcasing as well.” None of this is probably quite as serendipitous as Player, who also found time to be chairman of The National Stud, British Racing School and Newmarket racecourse, has outlined so modestly. He regained the surrounding land from tenant farmers, raised Longhorn cattle and managed the paddocks carefully. “My father was very forward-thinking 20 years ago with all the arable land and planted shelter belts around it, so as we’ve brought more back into the stud, it’s already got lovely woodland around it,” says his son, who worked for Rossdales veterinary practice and for Eddie O’Leary before moving back to Whatton Manor 13 years ago. “What’s nice is that my father is still very involved but he’s away more often and lets me get on with the day-to-day running. Any major decisions we’ll sit down and discuss, much like Tally-Ho or Yeomanstown studs do, I imagine.” Ed Player continues, “The industry as a whole, particularly prepping yearlings and the sales, has just moved on ten-fold. In the last 10 years it has become so competitive. If you’re if not trying to modernise and trying to improve, you’re just going to get left behind. We’re always talking to other industry experts and cherry picking ideas, and we have a great team of people here.” On the other hand, though, Peter’s experience is invaluable. “I’m a great believer that even very old families often come back,” he adds. “Ones that the modern person doesn’t recognise, I can see them as Moller or Howard de Walden families, and a horse has to have a semblance of a pedigree, even though looks and conformation are important too. Combine them all and you’ve got a much better chance.” “The rush for speed is the one area possibly where my son and I can have some robust discussions. There is a danger of breeding for nothing, and if you get a good stayer nowadays, you can win a lot of money and the programme is looking after them a bit more.” He continues, “We try to have a broad spectrum of families, of speed and of a mile, mile-and-a-quarter horses. My son is more commercial, but you have to be. I’ve nothing against a horse like Nathaniel (Ire) at all, he’s doing extremely well, but if you look at some of the trainers with large strings—Richard Fahey, Kevin Ryan, Richard Hannon—they want the faster horse, the Ascot 2-year-old who will probably be a miler in his 3-year-old career.” The William Haggas-trained Headway, who was co-bred with Larry Stratton and Adam Driver, fits very much in that bracket. Last season’s G2 Coventry S. runner-up, who showed such a sharp turn of foot in the recent Spring Cup at Lingfield, was out of the Whatton Manor-bred, Cecil-trained On Her Way (GB) (Medicean (GB). “He was a lovely foal, very active, a good mover, and having discussed with the co-owners, we decided that the foal trade was strong and we were pretty pleased to get 38,000gns for him at Tattersalls,” Ed recalls. “We were thrilled he went to a proper farm in Pier House Stud and even more delighted that he later went to William Haggas. “From quite early on, we were hearing positive reports about him. To nearly win at Royal Ascot and win like he did the other day—the time experts were saying his last furlong was exceptional—you get very excited. They’re extremely hard to breed, those good horses. I can’t believe he’ll be good enough to win a 2000 Guineas but to potentially line up with a chance would be fantastic.” As the Players had bought On Her Way back at a handsome profit after she had finished racing, they accepted “a good offer” for her from Richard Brown of Blandford Bloodstock and a half-brother by Bated Breath (GB) went for an impressive 120,000gns at October Book 2 last year. “We would be absolutely delighted if he did win a Classic as she was bought by a lovely person who is pretty new to the industry and he’s a great guy,” Ed says. “We still own a half-sister to On Her Way called Sunburnt. She’s had a Hot Streak (GB) yearling filly, a Mayson (GB) colt foal and is visiting Havana Gold.” Currently there are around 50 mares at Whatton Manor Stud, half of which are owned by the Players, and other graduates to look out for this year are Journey’s half-sister Stream Song (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and the pinhooked Fighting Irish (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), both of whom could also go for European Classic trials. It is a long way from that field in Newmarket in every sense. “When my father was getting everything going he didn’t have the finances and was using cheap stallions or mares he bought very cheaply,” says Ed Player. “Now we’ve got some fantastic new clients and seriously good mares are coming on the place. Go down to any one field and there’ll be foals by top-quality stallions—Dark Angel, Sea The Stars. We’re very fortunate to be working with lovely horses.” View the full article

Ballydoyle’s presence continues at Newmarket’s Craven meeting on Wednesday, with Deauville (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) launching his season in the G3 bet365 Earl of Sefton S. Mainly consistent and reliable, the 2016 GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. winner was third in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh in May, in Royal Ascot’s G1 Queen Anne S. the following month and in the GI Arlington Million and a repeat of any of those displays would be sufficient to kick the year off with a win. Another who is always threatening to break through at the top level for a second time is Robin of Navan (Fr) (American Post {GB}), the 2015 G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud hero who was second in the nine-furlong G1 Prix d’Ispahan at Chantilly in May. Third on his return to the subsequent listed scorer Hunaina (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) in Chantilly’s Prix Montjeu conditions race over a mile on the Polytrack on Mar. 6, he has race-fitness on his side along with the promoted Feb. 24 G3 Winter Derby winner Master the World (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). View the full article

Newmarket’s G3 Lanwades Stud Nell Gwyn S. takes centre stage on Wednesday, when a clutch of 1000 Guineas contenders warm up headed by course-and-distance winner Altyn Orda (Ire) (Kyllachy {GB}). Nurlan Bizakov’s homebred upstaged the well-regarded Juddmonte filly Gavota (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) in the G3 Oh So Sharp S. in October and is reported in prime condition by trainer Roger Varian. “Altyn Orda is in good shape and it seemed logical to bring her back to Newmarket,” he explained. “To break her maiden in that company was an excellent effort and the form and time of that race look solid. She is entitled to improve again this year and I am very much looking forward to running her.” Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum’s Threading (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) was impressive on desperate ground on debut at Glorious Goodwood in August and when following up at the expense of another Varian trainee in Madeline (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) in York’s G2 Lowther S. later that month. Only seventh on her season finale in this venue’s G1 Cheveley Park S. in September, she has proven pattern-race ability and a class edge if things fall right. Godolphin rely on the mile Ascot novice stakes winner Soliloquy (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and trainer Charlie Appleby is keen to see how she fares as he weighs up his Guineas team. “Soliloquy has wintered well and this looks a nice starting point to her 3-year-old season to see where to go for the rest of the campaign,” he said. “She won over a mile at Ascot and will be doing her best work at the end of this race. Coming back in distance is not a concern, but we see her optimum distance as being over a mile or a mile and a quarter.” Another who is open to improvement is Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s course-and-distance maiden scorer Nawassi (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) from John Gosden’s stable responsible for the last two winners of this. View the full article

When the Hong Kong Jockey Club paid A$1 million (HK$6.1 million) for a yearling colt at the Sydney Easter Yearling sales last week, there was a line crossed for the first time. When the dust cleared, the Jockey Club was, by any metric, one of the top entities to purchase more than three horses – second to Sheikh Hamdan’s Shadwell Stud on aggregate, second to James Harron Bloodstock on average, and leading by median price paid. How you assess the importance of the statistics allows... View the full article

The Danny Shum Chap-shing-trained Travel Emperor presents one of the classic racing puzzles on Wednesday night in the Hong Kong Rugby Union Cup (1,200m), but it’s a race he can win if he can produce his best. The question that sits over Travel Emperor (Derek Leung Ka-chun) is whether he can perform at Happy Valley, where he has never raced or even barrier trialled. We have seen a number of horses this season fail to handle the Valley track at their first look, but it’s hard to hang... View the full article

A suspension has seen Zac Purton’s chances of stealing the jockeys’ championship from Joao Moreira slip away but the Australian returns to action with a solid book of rides at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. It was Moreira who missed more meetings during the first part of the season, absent for seven of the first 36, with Purton missing just two during the same stretch. It allowed Purton to close the gap to five wins at one stage, but that stretched to 10 before a ban incurred in... View the full article

John Moore-trained Ruthven will be forced to miss the HK$24 million Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup on April 29 because of regulations governing official veterinary examinations. After running below expectations in the Class Two staying event at Sha Tin on Sunday, an endoscopic inspection initially showed mucus in Ruthven’s trachea. However, soon afterwards, the stewards reported “a substantial amount of blood” and imposed the standard requirement of an official... View the full article