Wandering Eyes

Kentucky House Bill 8, passed during the 2024 General Assembly, has allocated $250,000 of annual funding to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) from the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the TAA announced Monday. The funding will go directly to accredited aftercare facilities in Kentucky that play a critical role in ensuring the wellbeing of horses beyond their racing years. The TAA will award the funds to the accredited organizations and facilities where they can have the greatest impact. “We are grateful to the Kentucky legislature, the Governor and everyone involved in this process for recognizing the importance of aftercare and for providing this essential support,” said Walt Robertson, president, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. “This investment is a step that strengthens the foundation of aftercare in Kentucky, and we hope it serves as a model for other states to follow.” The post Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Receives Funding from Commonwealth of Kentucky appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale, featuring a catalogue of 225, will be held in one session beginning at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. “This sale has been good to a lot of people and it is on their calendar as a sale that they are not going to miss,” said Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sales director Paget Bennett. “We had a person last year that was up at the sale and they brought the horse back in the May sale and they were very successful, so they were already asking during the May sale about the October sale. It's a feel good story when you have that much support.” The $165,000 top-priced lot at last year's Midlantic Fall sale, Project Maximus (City of Light), romped by seven lengths in his Aug. 20 debut at Parx, while, at $125,000, the sale's third-highest priced offering, Vekomasan (Vekoma), debuted with a wire-to-wire victory at Colonial Downs Sept. 10. The auction produced its latest stakes winner when Live Stream (Long River), a $2,000 purchase last fall, won the Fitz Dixon Jr Memorial Juvenile Stakes at Presque Isle Downs. The sale has also rewarded pinhookers. Scanlon Training and Sales purchased the auction's second-highest priced offering, going to $150,000 for a yearling by Nyquist, who resold for $1 million at this year's OBS March sale. “Some people are looking for the Kentucky sires and other people are looking for athletes to take to the races,” Bennett said. “We've had a win-win for both categories this year.” The Maryland State Fairgrounds is situated at the crossroads of several racing jurisdictions, making the sale attractive to buyers from multiple regional markets. Looking to capitalize on the auction's proximity to Pennsylvania, Crane Thoroughbred Services is bringing a group of five homebreds, led by colts by Independence Hall (hip 53) and Complexity (hip 105), to Timonium. “We prefer to sell them in Maryland so they are more likely to stay in the region and run in Pennsylvania, so we can collect breeders awards,” said Clovis Crane. “When we sell them in Kentucky, a lot of times those horses don't come back. If Fasig doesn't have [this sale], I'm going to build a sale somewhere. I think it's vital to the industry in Pennsylvania and Maryland, so you can sell these regional horses.” The success of the Crane Thoroughbred Services-bred Morning Matcha (Central Banker), who sold $18,000 at the 2020 Midlantic Fall sale, led the operation to reinvest in its Pennsylvania-based breeding program. “Morning Matcha has done so well for us,” Crane said. “She has made $1.1 million at this point. She has made us a huge amount of money in breeders awards, so it prompted us to buy more mares and have more babies.” The Midlantic Fall sale was shortened to one session last year when its catalogue fell from 412 yearlings in 2023 to 284 in 2024. There are 225 horses catalogued for this year's auction. “The whole Maryland foal crop has changed so much over the years, we don't have that many breeders left,” Bennett said of the decline in numbers. “It's sad really, but I hope the people who believe in [the Maryland program] and believe in their product, will be rewarded. Hopefully Maryland racing will get going again and they will be rewarded with good breeder awards.” With the demolition and rebuild of Pimlico Race Course underway, the state of racing in Maryland could also impact buyers, according to Bennett. “It's a little tough right now because of the whole Maryland racing being a little uncertain, folks aren't loading their barns full of horses,” she said. “I am hoping more people will jump in and get back in it, but there is a lot of uncertainty in Maryland. We are still in the tear down process, but once they see Pimlico being rebuilt, I think it will give people something to be hopeful for.” Pinhookers will also have more to consider when putting their short lists together this year. In July, Fasig-Tipton announced it was eliminating timed works at its Midlantic May 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale next spring. “I will be honest with you, everybody is kind of up in the air on what will happen,” Crane, who annually offers a 2-year-old consignment in Timonium, said. “Sure, it changes a little bit of what you can buy and what you should buy to resell, but the verdict is still out. This is what I do for a living and I don't know exactly what I should or shouldn't buy differently. I know a little cracker jack who can go really fast probably won't work as well as it has in years past, but at the end of the day, those horses win races. All I know is that if you buy a good, solid horse, everything will be all right. Find the right horse and the rest of it will work out.” Demand has been high at the previous yearling sales this year and buyers who were shut out at earlier sales may be shopping harder in Timonium this year. “From what I am hearing, a lot of the agents have a lot of people that they are buying for, so they need to make all the stops at the sales,” Bennett said. “There are people who reached out looking for help with hotels, names that don't normally frequent our sale.” Asked if he thought the strength of previous sales will help bolster results in Timonium Tuesday, Crane said, “Absolutely, that's going to have a trickle down effect. It will have a trickle down effect in the whole industry. I think it will effect the sales in Europe and everywhere. Horses are just valuable. There are not enough of them. There is still lots of racing and people need horses to get in the starting gate. That was another catalyst for us to be breeding more. I think this is the first time–in my lifetime at the very least–that owning a broodmare, as a whole, can have a positive outcome.” The post Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale Tuesday in Timonium appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Aidan O'Brien looks set to saddle Los Angeles (Camelot) and Minnie Hauk (Frankel) in Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp, with the latter expected to be supplemented later this week to join the current cast of 17 contenders for Europe's richest race. Minnie Hauk has enjoyed a faultless campaign so far and will make her first trip to France following three consecutive Group 1 wins in the Oaks at Epsom, Irish Oaks at the Curragh and Yorkshire Oaks at York. Coral make her the 4/1 joint-favourite alongside last year's Arc runner-up Aventure (Sea The Stars), with Croix Du Nord (Kitasan Black) next in the list at 8/1 to provide Japan with an elusive first success in the race. Speaking at the weekend, O'Brien said, “Everything has gone well with them since their last runs. Christophe [Soumillon] rode Minnie Hauk during the week and he was very happy.” Los Angeles was beaten less than three lengths when finishing third in last year's Arc and O'Brien is confident that the four-year-old is returning to his best as he seeks a first victory since winning May's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh. “Los Angeles has made great improvement since his last run and, if the ground gets soft, it would bring him right into it – he's a big powerhouse,” O'Brien told Racing TV. “The Arc was his plan all year. It went a little bit wrong at Ascot and he had a hard race. We had to back away and because of that he was a little bit behind for his first run back at the Curragh. But we felt he came forward well from there to France the last day [when finishing fourth in Prix Foy]. We felt he was going to move on again, so hopefully this run will be better than his last run. His work has been very nice.” Other potential challengers from Ireland include Jessica Harrington's Hotazhell (Too Darn Hot) and John Murphy's White Birch (Ulysses), while the three remaining British-trained contenders following Monday's forfeit stage are Marco Botti's Giavellotto (Mastercraftsman), the David O'Meara-trained Estrange (Night Of Thunder) and Kalpana (Study Of Man) from Andrew Balding's yard. Croix Du Nord is one of three Japanese hopefuls, together with Alohi Alii (Duramente) and Byzantine Dream (Epiphaneia), while Christophe Ferland's Aventure is joined on the home team by significant runners for each of Andre Fabre and Francis-Henri Graffard. Fabre is set to saddle both Cualificar (Lope De Vega) and Sosie (Sea The Stars) as he seeks a record-extending ninth success in the Arc, while Daryz (Sea The Stars), Gezora (Almanzor) and Quisisana (Le Havre) make up the potential challenge from the Graffard stable. Finally, Jean-Claude Rouget is also set to be double-handed in 2025, having won two of the last five editions, with his Arrow Eagle (Gleneagles) and Leffard (Le Havre) completing the list of possible contenders. On Monday morning, France Galop reported a going stick reading of 7.2, which equates to good to soft ground, and there is little to no rain forecast for the rest of the week. The post Seventeen Arc Contenders Remain, with O’Brien Poised to Supplement Minnie Hauk appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NEWSLETTER View the full article

What Tatura Races Where Tatura & Shepparton Racing Club – 161 Ross St #157, Tatura When Tuesday, September 30, 2025 First Race 1:30pm AEST Visit Dabble A competitive eight-race program is set down for decision at Tatura on Tuesday as horse racing in Victoria heads to the state’s north. With perfect spring conditions forecast, the Good 4 rating should stick true throughout the afternoon, with the rail in its true position ensuring an ideal day for racing. The Tatura races on September 30 will commence at 1:30pm AEST. Best Bet at Tatura: Factually Factually returned with a sharp second over 1000m at Echuca and can go one better second-up. He draws wide, but Neil Farley can stalk a strong speed and angle into the better lanes late in the home straight. With race fitness on the rise and a handy weight, Factually looks poised to blouse the leaders down the outside in the penultimate event. Best Bet Race 7 – #9 Factually (11) 6yo Gelding | T: Charles Cassar | J: Neil Farley (57.5kg) Next Best at Tatura: Poetic Storm Classy mare Pacific Storm will return for the Robbie Griffiths yard and looks well placed at the 1100m at Tatura. Drawn perfectly in barrier four for Brad Rawiller, the five-year-old mare looks poised to land in the top three and considering she owns strong F&M figures at this trip, she will take some holding out with an economical run in transit. If she presents in clear air, her turn of foot should prove decisive at this grade. Next Best Race 8 – #2 Poetic Storm (4) 5yo Mare | T: Robbie Griffiths | J: Brad Rawiller (63kg) Best Value at Tatura: Tosen Impact Tosen Impact is a hard-fit stayer who keeps running well and finds a very winnable BM56 at 1980m. From gate six, Mitchell Aitken should have him parked just off a modest tempo before building momentum from the 600m. His recent figures at 2000m-type trips rate on top for this, and a Good 4 suits his grinding pattern. He gets every chance to put them away late at an each-way price with horse racing bookmakers. Best Value Race 5 – #2 Tosen Impact (6) 6yo Gelding | T: Vincent Malady | J: Mitchell Aitken (61kg) Tuesday quaddie tips for Tatura Tatura quadrella selections Tuesday, September 30, 2024 2-3-4-5-6-7 1-2-3-5-7 7-9-14 1-2-9 Horse racing tips View the full article

By Mike Love Wavewatcher’s fourth win brought up milestone win number 50 or Oamaru trainer Eion Latimer at Phar Lap Raceway in Timaru yesterday. “It took me twelve months to get it! The voice was a bit sore,” said Latimer. The five-year-old Downbytheseaside gelding Wavewatcher and driver Olivia Thornley were able to secure the trail for the entire trip behind race favourite McKendrick before executing the passing lane to full effect, wearing down McKendrick to win by half a head at the line with a four-length margin back to Betterthanbabe in third. “We’ve struck some bad tracks lately. He just can’t go when it’s wet. We put a hood on him to wake him up a bit.” Wavewatcher has been a long-term project, being somewhat of a rogue in his earlier years. “Robbie Holmes broke him in and I got him back as a three-year-old. “He was a bit of a handful but he’s really matured a lot recently. He raced as a two-year-old then got hurt.” Raced by Eion and his daughter Jacqui, Wavewatcher has always shown a lot of ability and the win provided a very satisfactory moment for the Latimer family. “We hardly work him. We race on a weekend, take two days off and just jog the rest. “In one of his earlier starts for me we ran fourth behind We Walk By Faith at Oamaru and set a track record.” “We will go to Oamaru next on the 19th.” Latimer has held a trainer’s licence since 1985 with a few years away between 1995 and 2000, with usually a small team. His most memorable moment to date was with war horse Motu Speedy Star’s victories in the 2011 Waimate Cup and the 2012 Kurow Cup. “The Waimate Cup was especially good because he paid $100! He only paid $50 when we won the Kurow Cup,” laughed Latimer. Motu Speedy Star won 10 races under the guidance of Latimer. Latimer trains from his Oamaru base just next to the Oamaru Racecourse with daughter Jacqui keeping a close eye on things. “Jacqui does all the feeding up and ground work. On race day she gears them all up and I just sit back and watch. “Her and I go to Australia every year for the Miracle Mile.” Thornley’s victory with Wavewatcher brought her driving win total to 99. Meanwhile, Hadron Collider provided an emphatic victory in the Tyre General Timaru Summer Cup for Amanda and Hayden Cullen, capping off a successful weekend for the training pair. Earlier in the day, Samantha Ottley had a story to tell when she was tipped out of Zoom X after 100 metres in race 7, the Empire Hotel Social Club Handicap Pace. Soon after the start, Clonakilty galloped, veering sideways into Ottley, who was subsequently tipped out. The race was called off, then rerun with Ottley and Zoom X going on to win from Clonakilty and Carter Dalgety, who dead-heated for second with Riptide. Jonny Cox, who caught the loose Zoom X after the first attempt, also had a very successful day, driving and training two winners – the promising trotter Prestigious winning the first, and Ideal Conqueror going back to back for Cox at just his third start for the barn. View the full article

Blue September ambassadors have produced a strong finish to round out the 2025 campaign in style. Down south Nathan Williamson added four more wins to the cause at Gore yesterday while Jonny Cox (with two wins), Blair Orange and John Dunn all added to the tally in Timaru. Their success followed five wins at Addington on Friday night, thanks to Dunn (2), Orange, Williamson and Robbie Close. In total during the month the 11 ambassadors won 53 races, with Dunn leading the way with 12, one ahead of Orange. The provisional total for Blue September is $36,175 though donations are still being accepted and the campaign doesn’t officially end until tomorrow. Total : 53 wins John Dunn 12 Blair Orange 11 Nathan Williamson 9 Matty Williamson 6 Harrison Orange 5 Jonny Cox 3 Sam Thornley 2 Robbie Close 2 Tony Cameron 2 Josh Dickie 1 This is the fifth year of HRNZ’s involvement in Blue September, the annual New Zealand Prostate Cancer Foundation campaign to raise awareness of the disease and funds for research. Money is raised every time an ambassador wins a race, thanks to individual sponsorships and money donated from clubs and HRNZ ($100 per win). HRNZ would like to thank all the drivers, the sponsors and the many people who have donated to the cause during September. Your time and generosity is very much appreciated. Anyone wanting to donate can do here View the full article

By Jonny Turner A host of feature races await To The Moon And Back following his outstanding victory at Gore on Sunday. The progressive trotter repaid the faith his team have had in him when dispatching his opposition despite sitting parked for driver Kerryn Tomlinson. To The Moon And Back was bred by Lex Williams who races the three-year-old with a group of enthusiastic owners. Trainer Brad Williamson and the ownership group can target a host of lucrative group races for three-year-old trotters, with To The Moon And Back’s manners catching up with his untapped ability in his recent victories. And it has led to the trotter now being a part of the richest of those upcoming feature races in Australasia – the $500,000 The Ascent. “Lex and the owners have been able to get him into the slot race, which is pretty exciting,” Tomlinson said. “We have always liked him but he has been a work in progress.” “Most of the other three-year-olds all raced as two-year-olds and have had a lot of mobile racing.” “Whereas, we only saw the mobile for the first time at the trials the other day.” “He was pretty green when he first started racing but he has kept learning with every race he’s had.” “He’s getting better all the time, so hopefully by the time he races the better three-year-olds his ringcraft will be pretty good.” Some of To The Moon And Back’s early placings before he broke maidens were among the biggest efforts seen in Southland this season, suggesting the trotter has the motor to compete at Group level. Those efforts were marred by errors, but there were no signs of mistakes in the three-year-old’s Gore victory. “Once he is going along he is great and he was like that today,” Tomlinson said. “He hung a little bit, probably just with the tighter track and the windy conditions.” “But he was really happy out there and it was a nice win.” With his great recent form, To The Moon And Back has put himself right in Harness 5000 contention. The three-year-old is eligible for one of the $60,000 finals of the inaugural series at Ashburton in December with his Gore outing completing his five starts needed during the qualifying period. View the full article

Jenna McLeod got a massive thrill when watching the latest generation of her family’s breed score at stakes level at Te Rapa on Saturday. Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) victor Magic Carpet hails from the same lineage that has been in her family’s care for nearly 70 years, and she is delighted to continue that legacy. “The original mare was bought by my great-great-grandfather in 1957 at the Trentham sales,” she said. “My grandfather, Gerald Shand, has raced and bred a number of this family and my parents, Phil and Jackie (Rogers), have raced a number of this family, and now myself and Dane, my husband, are racing and breeding from a number of the family as well. “It is really neat and the horses have done really well over the years. That has made us feel confident about continuing. We do it for the love of it – we love breeding and racing horses. “It is the side hobby away from the dairy farm, all of us are involved in the dairy farm.” One of the family’s more notable graduates, Group One winner Stolen Dance, was bred by McLeod and her husband, along with her brother Brian. The McLeods initially raced the mare out of David Greene’s Te Rapa stable, for whom she won the Group 3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m), Group 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1400m), and was runner-up in the Group 1 Zabeel Classic (2000m), Group 1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) and Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m). She was subsequently sold to Shand and joined Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman’s Cambridge barn and won the Thorndon Mile at her final start. “Stolen Dance was the first horse Dane and I bred ourselves, and the first time we had friends come into the ownership with us,” McLeod said. “You don’t get many like her that come along every day. “She was an absolute gem and David (Greene, trainer) and Heidi (wife) did such a great job with her from a young age because she was always a fiery wee thing. “Gerald purchased her off us for a broodmare and she went on to win the Thorndon Mile. Gerald has just turned 90, so we help him out with the matings, we all work it in together.” While the family typically breed to race, last year McLeod decided to send a couple of yearlings to New Zealand Bloodstock’s yearling sales, including Magic Carpet. By Rich Hill Stud shuttle stallion Satono Aladdin, Magic Carpet is out of Tavistock-winning mare From Eden, a half-sister to Group Two winner The Fuzz and Songbird, the dam of Stolen Dance. McLeod was impressed with the colt from the day he was born and placed him through Nick Fairweather and Nicole Brown’s Carlaw Park draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 1 Yearling Sale, and he subsequently sold to trainer Stephen Marsh and Dylan Johnson Bloodstock for $320,000. “The mare did really well with him and he was a lovely foal. He has always been quite a good-looking chap right from the get-go,” McLeod said. “He was born at Windsor Park and then came home. He always had a great temperament, did everything right and was an absolute breeze. “Generally, we are a breed to race family and it took a little bit of convincing for my Mum and Dad to go to the sales. “We sold two that year, the Satono Aladdin (Magic Carpet) and the other one was by Proisir (Rose Symphony, $150,000). They are the right stallions for the sales and they were nice types as young horses. “They developed the right way and Nick and Nicole did a fantastic job with them.” Magic Carpet carries the silks of majority shareholder, Bourbon Lane Stables, but McLeods parents have retained a share in the colt, and they are enjoying the ride he is taking them on, having placed in his two prior starts to Saturday’s triumph. “Stephen (Marsh) has always been such a big fan of Magic Carpet,” McLeod said. “We always wanted to keep a share in one or both (of the yearlings), and we were lucky enough to keep a share in him with Stephen.” McLeod said her family are breeding from seven mares this season, and while their ownership varies amongst the mares, they all work as a cohesive unit. “We are breeding from seven mares this year and even though there are different ownership with the horses, we all do it together,” she said. “They all stay at our home farm in Taupiri.” While they continue to enjoy racing their own horses, McLeod said they will try and replicate their past success at the sales when they head to Karaka next year with three yearlings. “Three of our yearlings got accepted for Book 1 at Karaka, so that was really exciting,” she said. “We are selling a Profondo-Songbird filly, an Almanzor-Just Dance filly, and a Noverre-Finest Wine colt. They are all with Carlaw Park.” View the full article

Comeback mare Pride Of Jenni has given Trelawney Stud a number of reasons to look forward to the spring after a dashing victory in the Gr.2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) on Friday night. Pride Of Jenni was crowned Australia’s Racehorse of the Year in the 2023/24 season after claiming three Group Ones, but was thought to be retired after finishing back in the Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2000m) in May. Her breeders Brent and Cherry Taylor had an idea that she might return as an eight-year-old and couldn’t have been prouder to see her return with a vengeance at The Valley. “It was just fantastic,” Cherry Taylor said. “Obviously Tony (Ottobre, owner) had initially said that she would go to stud, but he sent us a message saying that he didn’t think she wanted to be a broodmare, she was loving her work and life back in the stable so he would give her another go. “They’ve all done an amazing job to get her back to that form, and to beat Treasurethe Moment, who had beaten an absolute champion in Mr Brightside last start, we were just thrilled.” The Taylors sadly lost Pride Of Jenni’s half-sister, a foal by Hello Youmzain, last spring, but are hopeful of another filly out of her dam Sancerre in the coming weeks. “She went back to Hello Youmzain because it was such a good foal, and we are waiting for this one to be born,” Taylor said. “We’re excited and hoping it’ll be a filly again.” As they did to produce Pride Of Jenni, the Cambridge nursery continue to reap the rewards of bringing Australian blood into their breeding programme, with the latest example a rising star in Astoria Brooke. The progressive four-year-old carried their silks to victory when resuming in a competitive Rating 75 contest over 1400m on Saturday at Te Rapa, continuing to build on a record that now includes four wins from just nine starts. Astoria Brooke was the second foal out of stakes winner Astor, who was purchased off the track before being sent to Coolmore sire American Pharoah. “We bought Astor off the track when she retired from Gary Harding’s (owner),” Taylor said. “We often send our maiden mares to Australia to get a bit of that blood into New Zealand, usually between three and six mares if they are good, well-performed stakes horses. We get them in foal, they are foaled down, then bring them back in foal with a foal at foot and go to New Zealand stallions after that. “We sell the colts as yearlings, or if they go on to be geldings after that. We typically try to retain two or three fillies out of each family, and being the first out of the mare, we kept her (Astoria Brooke).” Astoria Brooke winning at Te Rapa on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Like her dam, Astoria Brooke is trained by Matamata horseman Cody Cole, who has managed her through soundness issues. “Cody has done a fantastic job because she hasn’t been easy, she’s had little niggles and growing pains along the way,” Taylor said. “To get her winning first-up on a heavy track was great, he’s done a great job and we’re very impressed by him and the mare. “Any horse that can string together three in a row has got ability and she’s now a four-win horse. I think you will see her go through the grades now. “We’ll still get some sting out of the tracks before Christmas so hopefully she can get a stakes performance on the board before then. I think she’ll feel the hard tracks, but if we can get her up to that before then, which I think we can, that’s great, then she can come back in the autumn.” Trelawney sold her half-brother by Sword Of State for $400,000 at the Karaka Yearling Sales in January, but that was their last progeny on the farm, after selling Astor to Highview’s Kurtis Gillovic. “We try to keep all of our mares at the top end and while her first foal by American Pharaoh was a winner, he had a couple of issues mentally, so we decided to sell Astor,” Taylor said. “Kurtis Gillovic bought the mare and now Astoria Brooke has come along, she ran in a stakes race as a three-year-old and has come up since then. “We’re absolutely thrilled for Kurtis, he’s a young man in the industry that now has a nice, young mare that he can continue to breed from. He’s getting a lot of fun out of watching Astoria Brooke racing, we saw Brent (Gillovic) at the races after she won and congratulated Kurtis, we’re so rapt for him.” View the full article

Comeback mare Pride Of Jenni has given Trelawney Stud a number of reasons to look forward to the spring after a dashing victory in the Gr.2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) on Friday night. Pride Of Jenni was crowned Australia’s Racehorse of the Year in the 2023/24 season after claiming three Group Ones, but was thought to be retired after finishing back in the Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2000m) in May. Her breeders Brent and Cherry Taylor had an idea that she might return as an eight-year-old and couldn’t have been prouder to see her return with a vengeance at The Valley. “It was just fantastic,” Cherry Taylor said. “Obviously Tony (Ottobre, owner) had initially said that she would go to stud, but he sent us a message saying that he didn’t think she wanted to be a broodmare, she was loving her work and life back in the stable so he would give her another go. “They’ve all done an amazing job to get her back to that form, and to beat Treasurethe Moment, who had beaten an absolute champion in Mr Brightside last start, we were just thrilled.” The Taylors sadly lost Pride Of Jenni’s half-sister, a foal by Hello Youmzain, last spring, but are hopeful of another filly out of her dam Sancerre in the coming weeks. “She went back to Hello Youmzain because it was such a good foal, and we are waiting for this one to be born,” Taylor said. “We’re excited and hoping it’ll be a filly again.” As they did to produce Pride Of Jenni, the Cambridge nursery continue to reap the rewards of bringing Australian blood into their breeding programme, with the latest example a rising star in Astoria Brooke. The progressive four-year-old carried their silks to victory when resuming in a competitive Rating 75 contest over 1400m on Saturday at Te Rapa, continuing to build on a record that now includes four wins from just nine starts. Astoria Brooke was the second foal out of stakes winner Astor, who was purchased off the track before being sent to Coolmore sire American Pharoah. “We bought Astor off the track when she retired from Gary Harding’s (owner),” Taylor said. “We often send our maiden mares to Australia to get a bit of that blood into New Zealand, usually between three and six mares if they are good, well-performed stakes horses. We get them in foal, they are foaled down, then bring them back in foal with a foal at foot and go to New Zealand stallions after that. “We sell the colts as yearlings, or if they go on to be geldings after that. We typically try to retain two or three fillies out of each family, and being the first out of the mare, we kept her (Astoria Brooke).” Astoria Brooke winning at Te Rapa on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Like her dam, Astoria Brooke is trained by Matamata horseman Cody Cole, who has managed her through soundness issues. “Cody has done a fantastic job because she hasn’t been easy, she’s had little niggles and growing pains along the way,” Taylor said. “To get her winning first-up on a heavy track was great, he’s done a great job and we’re very impressed by him and the mare. “Any horse that can string together three in a row has got ability and she’s now a four-win horse. I think you will see her go through the grades now. “We’ll still get some sting out of the tracks before Christmas so hopefully she can get a stakes performance on the board before then. I think she’ll feel the hard tracks, but if we can get her up to that before then, which I think we can, that’s great, then she can come back in the autumn.” Trelawney sold her half-brother by Sword Of State for $400,000 at the Karaka Yearling Sales in January, but that was their last progeny on the farm, after selling Astor to Highview’s Kurtis Gillovic. “We try to keep all of our mares at the top end and while her first foal by American Pharaoh was a winner, he had a couple of issues mentally, so we decided to sell Astor,” Taylor said. “Kurtis Gillovic bought the mare and now Astoria Brooke has come along, she ran in a stakes race as a three-year-old and has come up since then. “We’re absolutely thrilled for Kurtis, he’s a young man in the industry that now has a nice, young mare that he can continue to breed from. He’s getting a lot of fun out of watching Astoria Brooke racing, we saw Brent (Gillovic) at the races after she won and congratulated Kurtis, we’re so rapt for him.” View the full article

Comeback mare Pride Of Jenni has given Trelawney Stud a number of reasons to look forward to the spring after a dashing victory in the Gr.2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) on Friday night. Pride Of Jenni was crowned Australia’s Racehorse of the Year in the 2023/24 season after claiming three Group Ones, but was thought to be retired after finishing back in the Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2000m) in May. Her breeders Brent and Cherry Taylor had an idea that she might return as an eight-year-old and couldn’t have been prouder to see her return with a vengeance at The Valley. “It was just fantastic,” Cherry Taylor said. “Obviously Tony (Ottobre, owner) had initially said that she would go to stud, but he sent us a message saying that he didn’t think she wanted to be a broodmare, she was loving her work and life back in the stable so he would give her another go. “They’ve all done an amazing job to get her back to that form, and to beat Treasurethe Moment, who had beaten an absolute champion in Mr Brightside last start, we were just thrilled.” The Taylors sadly lost Pride Of Jenni’s half-sister, a foal by Hello Youmzain, last spring, but are hopeful of another filly out of her dam Sancerre in the coming weeks. “She went back to Hello Youmzain because it was such a good foal, and we are waiting for this one to be born,” Taylor said. “We’re excited and hoping it’ll be a filly again.” As they did to produce Pride Of Jenni, the Cambridge nursery continue to reap the rewards of bringing Australian blood into their breeding programme, with the latest example a rising star in Astoria Brooke. The progressive four-year-old carried their silks to victory when resuming in a competitive Rating 75 contest over 1400m on Saturday at Te Rapa, continuing to build on a record that now includes four wins from just nine starts. Astoria Brooke was the second foal out of stakes winner Astor, who was purchased off the track before being sent to Coolmore sire American Pharoah. “We bought Astor off the track when she retired from Gary Harding’s (owner),” Taylor said. “We often send our maiden mares to Australia to get a bit of that blood into New Zealand, usually between three and six mares if they are good, well-performed stakes horses. We get them in foal, they are foaled down, then bring them back in foal with a foal at foot and go to New Zealand stallions after that. “We sell the colts as yearlings, or if they go on to be geldings after that. We typically try to retain two or three fillies out of each family, and being the first out of the mare, we kept her (Astoria Brooke).” Astoria Brooke winning at Te Rapa on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Like her dam, Astoria Brooke is trained by Matamata horseman Cody Cole, who has managed her through soundness issues. “Cody has done a fantastic job because she hasn’t been easy, she’s had little niggles and growing pains along the way,” Taylor said. “To get her winning first-up on a heavy track was great, he’s done a great job and we’re very impressed by him and the mare. “Any horse that can string together three in a row has got ability and she’s now a four-win horse. I think you will see her go through the grades now. “We’ll still get some sting out of the tracks before Christmas so hopefully she can get a stakes performance on the board before then. I think she’ll feel the hard tracks, but if we can get her up to that before then, which I think we can, that’s great, then she can come back in the autumn.” Trelawney sold her half-brother by Sword Of State for $400,000 at the Karaka Yearling Sales in January, but that was their last progeny on the farm, after selling Astor to Highview’s Kurtis Gillovic. “We try to keep all of our mares at the top end and while her first foal by American Pharaoh was a winner, he had a couple of issues mentally, so we decided to sell Astor,” Taylor said. “Kurtis Gillovic bought the mare and now Astoria Brooke has come along, she ran in a stakes race as a three-year-old and has come up since then. “We’re absolutely thrilled for Kurtis, he’s a young man in the industry that now has a nice, young mare that he can continue to breed from. He’s getting a lot of fun out of watching Astoria Brooke racing, we saw Brent (Gillovic) at the races after she won and congratulated Kurtis, we’re so rapt for him.” View the full article

Comeback mare Pride Of Jenni has given Trelawney Stud a number of reasons to look forward to the spring after a dashing victory in the Gr.2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) on Friday night. Pride Of Jenni was crowned Australia’s Racehorse of the Year in the 2023/24 season after claiming three Group Ones, but was thought to be retired after finishing back in the Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2000m) in May. Her breeders Brent and Cherry Taylor had an idea that she might return as an eight-year-old and couldn’t have been prouder to see her return with a vengeance at The Valley. “It was just fantastic,” Cherry Taylor said. “Obviously Tony (Ottobre, owner) had initially said that she would go to stud, but he sent us a message saying that he didn’t think she wanted to be a broodmare, she was loving her work and life back in the stable so he would give her another go. “They’ve all done an amazing job to get her back to that form, and to beat Treasurethe Moment, who had beaten an absolute champion in Mr Brightside last start, we were just thrilled.” The Taylors sadly lost Pride Of Jenni’s half-sister, a foal by Hello Youmzain, last spring, but are hopeful of another filly out of her dam Sancerre in the coming weeks. “She went back to Hello Youmzain because it was such a good foal, and we are waiting for this one to be born,” Taylor said. “We’re excited and hoping it’ll be a filly again.” As they did to produce Pride Of Jenni, the Cambridge nursery continue to reap the rewards of bringing Australian blood into their breeding programme, with the latest example a rising star in Astoria Brooke. The progressive four-year-old carried their silks to victory when resuming in a competitive Rating 75 contest over 1400m on Saturday at Te Rapa, continuing to build on a record that now includes four wins from just nine starts. Astoria Brooke was the second foal out of stakes winner Astor, who was purchased off the track before being sent to Coolmore sire American Pharoah. “We bought Astor off the track when she retired from Gary Harding’s (owner),” Taylor said. “We often send our maiden mares to Australia to get a bit of that blood into New Zealand, usually between three and six mares if they are good, well-performed stakes horses. We get them in foal, they are foaled down, then bring them back in foal with a foal at foot and go to New Zealand stallions after that. “We sell the colts as yearlings, or if they go on to be geldings after that. We typically try to retain two or three fillies out of each family, and being the first out of the mare, we kept her (Astoria Brooke).” Astoria Brooke winning at Te Rapa on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Like her dam, Astoria Brooke is trained by Matamata horseman Cody Cole, who has managed her through soundness issues. “Cody has done a fantastic job because she hasn’t been easy, she’s had little niggles and growing pains along the way,” Taylor said. “To get her winning first-up on a heavy track was great, he’s done a great job and we’re very impressed by him and the mare. “Any horse that can string together three in a row has got ability and she’s now a four-win horse. I think you will see her go through the grades now. “We’ll still get some sting out of the tracks before Christmas so hopefully she can get a stakes performance on the board before then. I think she’ll feel the hard tracks, but if we can get her up to that before then, which I think we can, that’s great, then she can come back in the autumn.” Trelawney sold her half-brother by Sword Of State for $400,000 at the Karaka Yearling Sales in January, but that was their last progeny on the farm, after selling Astor to Highview’s Kurtis Gillovic. “We try to keep all of our mares at the top end and while her first foal by American Pharaoh was a winner, he had a couple of issues mentally, so we decided to sell Astor,” Taylor said. “Kurtis Gillovic bought the mare and now Astoria Brooke has come along, she ran in a stakes race as a three-year-old and has come up since then. “We’re absolutely thrilled for Kurtis, he’s a young man in the industry that now has a nice, young mare that he can continue to breed from. He’s getting a lot of fun out of watching Astoria Brooke racing, we saw Brent (Gillovic) at the races after she won and congratulated Kurtis, we’re so rapt for him.” View the full article

Rich Hill Stud’s Group 1 stallion roster was the dominant force at Te Rapa’s premier meeting with their progeny claiming a feature race double. Proisir’s son Waitak was back to his brilliant best to score in the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) while Satono Aladdin three-year-old Magic Carpet reigned supreme in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m). Associate sire Ace High was also to the fore with Bak Da Angel impressively claiming an 1100m sprint on the undercard to complete a treble for resident Rich Hill stallions. The performance of the Stephen Marsh-trained Magic Carpet highlighted the remarkable Australasian statistics of the progeny of Satono Aladdin. From 96 runners to date, he has sired 12 individual stakes winners, equating to 12.5 per cent stakes winners-to-runners. “Satono Aladdin’s first three Southern Hemisphere foal crops averaged just 48, which means at this stage his stakes winners-to-foals is running at an incredible 8.3 per cent, plus he’s running at 12.5 per cent stakes winners-to-runners,” Rich Hill’s John Thompson said. “These are world class statistics. With a two-year-old crop of 122 well-bred colts and fillies and his current yearling crop of 127 following, the next few years are going to be very exciting for Satono Aladdin’s many supporters.” The winners continued to flow throughout the weekend, with a trio of stakes performances by Rich Hill sires at other venues. Chris Waller produced Group 1 performer Firestorm (Satono Aladdin) for a fresh-up third in Gr.2 Golden Pendant (1400m) at Rosehill and his Group 1 winner Molly Bloom (Ace High) looked to be coming back to top form with a brave first-up third placing in the Gr.2 WH Stocks Stakes (1500m) at Moonee Valley. Talented Shocking four-year-old Scary finished a close second in Sunday’s Listed RM Ansett Classic (2415m) at Mornington while Proisir’s lightly raced son Tyga Taste scored over 1350m at Strathalbyn for trainer Michael Hickmott. Meanwhile in Hong Kong, Satono Aladdin’s son Speedy Smartie triumphed in the opening event over 1200m at Sha Tin to give ex- South African trainer Brett Crawford his first Hong Kong winner. View the full article

Wolfgang, who races as Mister Wolfgang in Australia, will get his first opportunity to earn a golden ticket into the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) when he heads to Flemington on Saturday. The Peter and Shaun McKay-trained gelding will contest the Gr.3 The Bart Cummings (2500m), with the winner earning an automatic spot in the A$10 million two-mile feature. The seven-year-old son of Puccini finished last first-up over 1700m at Flemington earlier this month before backing up seven days later at Caulfield where he finished 12th in the Gr.3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m). “His second run was good,” Peter McKay said. “Even though he only beat four or five horses home, from where he was in the race, there wasn’t a lot of changing going on. Where they were turning the corner is where they finished. His sectionals were quite good from the half-mile home, so we were rapt with that.” McKay has received positive reports from Shaun, who is with the horse in Melbourne, and they are hoping for a bold showing from the gelding this weekend. “We are pretty happy with the way he is going into it,” McKay said. “Daniel Stackhouse is going to ride him again, so at least he knows him, and we are hoping he can run in the first half dozen on Saturday. “There are still a couple of races after that to find out if we can get into the Melbourne Cup, and if not, there is some good money on offer over there.” Back home in New Zealand, the stable is coming off a pleasing day at Te Rapa on Saturday where they recorded a couple of placings, including Faultless running third in the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (1400m). “We were hoping that he could run in the first three or four and he has done that, it was a good run,” McKay said. Withdrawn from November’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), Faultless will now be set for a couple of feature targets closer to home in a bid to qualify for next year’s $1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). “He will probably go to the Sarten (Gr.2, 1400m), but that is a month away,” McKay said. “Depending on how the weather is, he may go to Otaki for a $65,000 three-year-old race over 1400m. “Hopefully once he has got a bit more ringcraft about him, we can try and have a crack at the Karaka Millions after Christmas.” Stablemate Subiaco also featured at Te Rapa when running third in the Simply Fire Mile (1600m). “That was a good run,” McKay said. “Craig (Grylls, jockey) said he stepped the gates slightly slow and he didn’t want to dig him up just in case her over-raced, which he would have. He then had to ride his race from the back and he finished off his race really well. “He is probably better suited on top of the ground, he is such a big, long-striding horse. Hopefully there is something instore for him.” McKay is hoping to continue the stable’s solid run of form at Tauranga on Wednesday where they will be represented by a quartet of runners, including Rocky Marciano in the Gartshore Construction Maiden (1600m), Meatlug in the Tauranga Crossing Fashions In The Field November 1st (1400m), La Plancha in the Ultimate Ford Maiden 1400, and Just Call Me Jonny in the Bayleys Altogether Better 1400. View the full article

Jenna McLeod got a massive thrill when watching the latest generation of her family’s breed score at stakes level at Te Rapa on Saturday. Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) victor Magic Carpet hails from the same lineage that has been in her family’s care for nearly 70 years, and she is delighted to continue that legacy. “The original mare was bought by my great-great-grandfather in 1957 at the Trentham sales,” she said. “My grandfather, Gerald Shand, has raced and bred a number of this family and my parents, Phil and Jackie (Rogers), have raced a number of this family, and now myself and Dane, my husband, are racing and breeding from a number of the family as well. “It is really neat and the horses have done really well over the years. That has made us feel confident about continuing. We do it for the love of it – we love breeding and racing horses. “It is the side hobby away from the dairy farm, all of us are involved in the dairy farm.” One of the family’s more notable graduates, Group One winner Stolen Dance, was bred by McLeod and her husband, along with her brother Brian. The McLeods initially raced the mare out of David Greene’s Te Rapa stable, for whom she won the Gr.3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m), Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1400m), and was runner-up in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m), Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) and Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m). She was subsequently sold to Shand and joined Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman’s Cambridge barn and won the Thorndon Mile at her final start. “Stolen Dance was the first horse Dane and I bred ourselves, and the first time we had friends come into the ownership with us,” McLeod said. “You don’t get many like her that come along every day. “She was an absolute gem and David (Greene, trainer) and Heidi (wife) did such a great job with her from a young age because she was always a fiery wee thing. “Gerald purchased her off us for a broodmare and she went on to win the Thorndon Mile. Gerald has just turned 90, so we help him out with the matings, we all work it in together.” While the family typically breed to race, last year McLeod decided to send a couple of yearlings to New Zealand Bloodstock’s yearling sales, including Magic Carpet. By Rich Hill Stud shuttle stallion Satono Aladdin, Magic Carpet is out of Tavistock-winning mare From Eden, a half-sister to Group Two winner The Fuzz and Songbird, the dam of Stolen Dance. McLeod was impressed with the colt from the day he was born and placed him through Nick Fairweather and Nicole Brown’s Carlaw Park draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 1 Yearling Sale, and he subsequently sold to trainer Stephen Marsh and Dylan Johnson Bloodstock for $320,000. “The mare did really well with him and he was a lovely foal. He has always been quite a good-looking chap right from the get-go,” McLeod said. “He was born at Windsor Park and then came home. He always had a great temperament, did everything right and was an absolute breeze. “Generally, we are a breed to race family and it took a little bit of convincing for my Mum and Dad to go to the sales. “We sold two that year, the Satono Aladdin (Magic Carpet) and the other one was by Proisir (Rose Symphony, $150,000). They are the right stallions for the sales and they were nice types as young horses. “They developed the right way and Nick and Nicole did a fantastic job with them.” Magic Carpet carries the silks of majority shareholder, Bourbon Lane Stables, but McLeods parents have retained a share in the colt, and they are enjoying the ride he is taking them on, having placed in his two prior starts to Saturday’s triumph. “Stephen (Marsh) has always been such a big fan of Magic Carpet,” McLeod said. “We always wanted to keep a share in one or both (of the yearlings), and we were lucky enough to keep a share in him with Stephen.” McLeod said her family are breeding from seven mares this season, and while their ownership varies amongst the mares, they all work as a cohesive unit. “We are breeding from seven mares this year and even though there are different ownership with the horses, we all do it together,” she said. “They all stay at our home farm in Taupiri.” While they continue to enjoy racing their own horses, McLeod said they will try and replicate their past success at the sales when they head to Karaka next year with three yearlings. “Three of our yearlings got accepted for Book 1 at Karaka, so that was really exciting,” she said. “We are selling a Profondo-Songbird filly, an Almanzor-Just Dance filly, and a Noverre-Finest Wine colt. They are all with Carlaw Park.” View the full article

Evaporate crowned a stellar period for his sire across the Tasman when he produced a gallant performance to land the thick end of the stake in Saturday’s Gr.3 Sandown Stakes (1500m). The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained four-year-old is a Little Avondale Stud homebred son of resident sire Per Incanto. “He had an outstanding week in Australia with eight winners, capped off by Evaporate,” Little Avondale Stud principal Sam Williams said. The farm had also earlier celebrated a victory at Te Rapa with the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-prepared She’s All That. Evaporate was sold through Sledmere Stud’s draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for A$330,000 on behalf of Little Avondale, who wisely remained in the ownership. The multiple Group winner and $3.5 million The Kiwi (1500m) runner-up had also overcome a hiccup in his lead-up to the Sandown feature. “He was carrying topweight (59kg) and missed a bit of work with a virus, they got on to it early and it was fantastic to see him back,” Williams said. “The Hayes boys have done a wonderful job with him at Lindsay Park and the Golden Eagle (A$10 million, 1500m) is his main target and now he’s also got the Toorak (Gr.1, 1600m) in front of him.” Evaporate is a son of the unraced Animal Kingdom mare Savanna, whose two foals to race have been successful. “He’s from my favourite family of Sound Lover, she was an incredible mare whose progeny won around 60 races,” Williams said. “The family has had four stakes winners by Per Incanto, Evaporate, Belluci Babe, Pure Incanto and Magnum. “Savanna is in foal to him again and hopefully she’s carrying a filly so we can keep it. “I sold a Bivouac filly (for $100,000) out of her last year, Jim Bruford bought her and he’s got a smile from ear to ear because Bivouac got his first Group One winner at the weekend, so it was a double whammy for him.” Meanwhile, She’s All That impressed in her first-up victory over 1200m at Te Rapa in the Little Avondale silks to take her record to two wins from eight appearances. “She hadn’t had a race day start for some time and I thought in the last 100m that her fitness may have told, but she had her ears back and when she hit the line put them straight forward like a good horse,” Williams said. “It’s great for the syndicate, they’re a great bunch and one of the lease syndicates we do and a lot of them were also in Roch ‘N’ Horse and Belluci Babe.” She’s All That is a daughter of former Little Avondale resident Time Test. “He’s second on the sires’ premiership for individual winners and for prizemoney, I might have to get a boat and got to Turkey and sneak him back out!” Williams said. She’s All That is out of the Per Incanto mare Imadreamer, who had a filly by Profondo last season before a successful visit to Hello Youmzain. View the full article

The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable is weighing up the pros and cons of a Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) start for Golden Path (NZ) (Belardo). If it is decided the Caulfield Cup is the race for Golden Path, then Saturday’s Gr.1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) will be the next step towards the 2400m feature on October 18. “It is still to be confirmed but he’ll have a nomination in the Turnbull,” Kent Jnr said. “We’ve had some lengthy discussions with the ownership group, and we might have a throw at the Caulfield Cup. “If we are going that way, and I think we are, then the Turnbull is the likely lead in.” Golden Path has had three runs back from a break. He finished third first-up over 1600m at Caulfield on August 16, lumped 61kg to victory at Flemington over 1700m on September 13 then backed up a week later to finish third, beaten less than half-a-length in the Gr.1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield. In Price and Kent Jnr’s eyes, that was a career high. “Our opinion is he’s probably a couple of lengths shy of the best horses in these weight-for-age races over 2000 (metres) and his chance of winning a big race is in a handicap like the Caulfield Cup,” Kent Jnr said. “We think he’s in the race, which is a start, he’s got 54-½ kilos, so he’s in with a reasonable weight. “My personal gut feel is that he’ll enjoy 2400 (metres). It’s a bit of a gamble as he’s never been past 2000 metres, but I think it’s the right time to take that gamble. “It’s a $5 million punt and the way he can sustain a gallop over 2000 (metres), I’d be hopeful he would enjoy 2400 (metres). “He’s got a great racing style that suits Caulfield and he’s a horse in really good form. “We may not get the same opportunity next year.” Kent Jnr said Golden Path needs another run before the Caulfield Cup and the Turnbull Stakes is the favoured option. While the Gr.1 Might And Power Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on October 11 had been discussed, it is felt backing up within a week twice in the campaign would be too arduous. Golden Path has improved with age, but Price and Kent Jnr are also realistic. “The winter in Sydney last year was when he found his best form,” Kent Jnr said. “The autumn in Sydney this year, we were forced into those better Group 1’s and he was three-to-five lengths short of them, and we were running against the country’s best horses, and he wasn’t up to them at those distances. “It was nice to get him back winning in a handicap at Flemington. “I think he ran well to show us he’s in career best form and it makes a lot of sense in my opinion to have a go at the Caulfield Cup under handicap conditions. “It’s not an easy race but I think he’s the right horse and the market will tell you that he’s somewhere in the race.” Bred by the Wallace family’s Ardsley Stud, Golden Path was purchased for $35,000 from the 2021 Karaka Book 2 Yearling Sale by Pukekohe trainer Michael Rogers. After winning two of his three trials in New Zealand for Rogers, Golden Path was sold to clients of the Price-Kent team. View the full article

Hong Lok Golf could be a season-defining horse for Harry Bentley and the Brit is relishing the chance to hop back aboard in Wednesday’s Class Two Beijing Handicap (1,400m) ahead of a potential Group-race campaign. The five-year-old was almost perfect in his debut campaign, winning six of his seven starts. The only defeat came when he finished a desperately unlucky second at Sha Tin in February, after being hemmed in at a crucial stage. Since that Class Three defeat, he has subsequently saluted...View the full article

Two big names made early statements, an accomplished trainer hit the ground running after a wretched campaign last season and Super Typhoon Ragasa forced one meeting to be abandoned in an eventful opening month of the new season. The Post analyses the jockeys and trainers who had a September to remember or one to forget, as well as the most outstanding victory and winning ride. Who’s hot? It was business as usual for Zac Purton after he bagged a five-timer at the opening meeting of the season en...View the full article

The Chris Waller-trained Beiwacht emulated his sire Bivouac when winning the Golden Rose Stakes (G1) Sept. 27 in a record-breaking time of 1:20.79, smashing the previous track record of 1:21.22 held by Cepheus.View the full article

Coming off an eight-month layoff between races, it would have been fair to wonder how Imagination would perform in his return to competition. The Into Mischief colt exceeded even the wildest of expectations to win the Santa Anita Sprint (G2). View the full article

Freebelle (pink cap) powering through to take out the Murdoch Contracting 1400 at Waverley on Sunday. Photo: Jane Davidson (Race Images). Robbie Patterson was given a boost of confidence around the future of staying mare Freebelle when she came out on top in the Murdoch Contracting 1400 at Waverley on Sunday. The five-year-old had just five starts under her belt in a short career to date, two of those being winning efforts over a mile, so Patterson anticipated she may find the seven furlongs a touch sharp first-up this campaign. Kavish Chowdhoory got the late call-up to ride the mare after regular stable rider Craig Grylls was unable to attend the meeting because of a fall, but the former had guided her to success at Trentham through the winter and allowed her to find her feet early under a fierce tempo set by Vibration and Duncan Creek. The field strung out along the back straight and Freebelle was spotting the leader more than eight lengths at the 600m, but started to pick up ground turning for home as Duncan Creek attempted to get a break on his rivals. Challengers were coming right across the track but none with more momentum than Freebelle ($7.50 with Neds betting), who wound up down the centre and powered on by to score with authority ahead of a game Vibration and Champagne Linda. Patterson was pleasantly surprised with the result, with Freebelle being his sole representative on the nine-race card. “She’s a real staying type and not a big horse, so over the 1400m, I would’ve been very happy if she ran into about fifth,” he said. “The pace in the race showed she’s got some real stamina inside her, she was flat to the boards the whole way so to round it off like that, she’s shown she’s above average. “I was never worried about the better track, she’s a very good-actioned horse and comes from a very good family over a few generations. I didn’t expect that over 1400m, so it’s a sign of a good stayer if they can do that fresh-up over 1400m. “We’ll find a nice race around three weeks’ time for her, I think there’s a 75 mile back at Waverley on their Cup day so I’ll take her back there for that. “I’ll be patient with her and hopefully she’ll go to another level.” Patterson said Chowdhoory had produced a great ride and brought out the best in Freebelle. “Craig was unfortunately not unable to be here, but Kavish is a lovely guy and rides jumpouts for us and does a lot of work behind the scenes,” he said. “This horse has been tricky, she has been late scratched a couple of times for dumping riders going down to the start, so he’s done a super job with her.” In six starts, Freebelle has recorded three wins and a minor placing, having only debuted as a four-year-old last December. Out of a Thorn Park mare Freelinks, her granddam was a top middle distance mare and Group One performer in Freequent. View the full article

Jack Taplin (pictured) suffered a broken wrist in a nasty incident at Riccarton on Saturday, with it dislodging three other jockeys. Jack Taplin has sustained a broken wrist after a race fall at Riccarton Park on Saturday. Photo: Race Images South Apprentice jockey Jack Taplin sustained a broken wrist in Saturday’s shocking race fall at Riccarton Park, which involved four other jockeys including Bridget Grylls and Brandon May, who were also injured. Taplin’s mount King Of The Castle was brought down by the fallen Richard Stomper (May) near the 550m, with the trailing Koyama (Yogesh Atchamah), She’s So Reliable (Grylls) and Proserve (Brett Murray) unable to avoid the fallen horses and dislodging their respective riders. Also read: How to bet on NZ racing Atchamah and Murray were assessed by St John personnel and cleared of injury, while Taplin, May and Grylls were transported to Christchurch Hospital for further assessment. New Zealand Jockeys’ Association Executive Officer Andrew Lacy shared further updates on the riders on Sunday evening. “I have been in contact with all of the jockeys involved in this incident, and fortunately Brandon May, Jack Taplin and Bridget Grylls have all been discharged from hospital,” he said. “Jack has shattered his wrist and has a possible fracture in his arm, he came out of hospital early on Sunday morning and is taking it as it comes at this stage. “Brandon was quite sore in the lower back and pelvic area after being stood on by a horse, so he went to the hospital and fortunately everything came out clear in the x-ray. He has some internal bleeding on the muscle in that area, but is resting up and feeling very grateful as it could’ve been a lot worse. “Bridget sustained a concussion and dislocated and possibly broke her finger, and also got stitches for a scratch on her knee. “Brett was not injured in the incident and will be riding at the trials at Riccarton on Monday. “Yogesh has also been cleared to ride after being checked at the meeting.” View the full article

Evaporate (NZ) ridden by Blake Shinn wins the Sportsbet Sandown Stakes at Sportsbet Sandown Hillside Racecourse on September 27, 2025 in Springvale, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Racing Photos) Evaporate crowned a stellar period for his sire across the Tasman when he produced a gallant performance win the Group 3 Sandown Stakes (1500m) on Saturday. The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained four-year-old is a Little Avondale Stud homebred son of resident sire Per Incanto. Evaporate ($3.70 with betting sites) beat home favourite Transatlantic ($2.60) and Athanatos ($7), while Cote Atlantique punched on for fourth. “He had an outstanding week in Australia with eight winners, capped off by Evaporate,” Little Avondale Stud principal Sam Williams said. The farm had also earlier celebrated a victory at Te Rapa with the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-prepared She’s All That. Evaporate was sold through Sledmere Stud’s draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for A$330,000 on behalf of Little Avondale, who wisely remained in the ownership. The multiple Group winner and $3.5 million The Kiwi (1500m) runner-up had also overcome a hiccup in his lead-up to the Sandown feature. “He was carrying topweight (59kg) and missed a bit of work with a virus, they got on to it early and it was fantastic to see him back,” Williams said. “The Hayes boys have done a wonderful job with him at Lindsay Park and the Golden Eagle (A$10 million, 1500m) is his main target and now he’s also got the Toorak (Group 1, 1600m) in front of him.” Evaporate is a son of the unraced Animal Kingdom mare Savanna, whose two foals to race have been successful. “He’s from my favourite family of Sound Lover, she was an incredible mare whose progeny won around 60 races,” Williams said. “The family has had four stakes winners by Per Incanto, Evaporate, Belluci Babe, Pure Incanto and Magnum. “Savanna is in foal to him again and hopefully she’s carrying a filly so we can keep it. “I sold a Bivouac filly (for $100,000) out of her last year, Jim Bruford bought her and he’s got a smile from ear to ear because Bivouac got his first Group One winner at the weekend, so it was a double whammy for him.” Meanwhile, She’s All That impressed in her first-up victory over 1200m at Te Rapa in the Little Avondale silks to take her record to two wins from eight appearances. “She hadn’t had a race day start for some time and I thought in the last 100m that her fitness may have told, but she had her ears back and when she hit the line put them straight forward like a good horse,” Williams said. “It’s great for the syndicate, they’re a great bunch and one of the lease syndicates we do and a lot of them were also in Roch ‘N’ Horse and Belluci Babe.” She’s All That is a daughter of former Little Avondale resident Time Test. “He’s second on the sires’ premiership for individual winners and for prizemoney, I might have to get a boat and got to Turkey and sneak him back out!” Williams said. She’s All That is out of the Per Incanto mare Imadreamer, who had a filly by Profondo last season before a successful visit to Hello Youmzain. View the full article