Wandering Eyes

Veteran handler looks to Stewards’ Cup with five-year-old after scintillating Group Three victory on New Year’s Day.View the full article

John Size’s sprinter denies odds-on favourite Magic Control in tight Bauhinia Sprint Trophy finish.View the full article

Harness Racing New Zealand is delighted that 2024 has finished with a flourish, with Auckland’s New Year’s Eve meeting a success both in terms of crowd numbers and turnover. The Auckland Trotting Club’s twilight meeting was popular with racegoers and turnover was up markedly on last year with latest figures showing the 10-race programme amassing $1.4m, compared to $823K in 2023, and $1m for 10 races in 2023. The increase is in line with a 20 per cent increase in harness racing turnovers across the board this year, compared to 12 months ago. “The ATC and all participants should be congratulated for an excellent result,” says HRZ Chief Executive Brad Steele. “And what a finish to the year for both Republican Party and Muscle Mountain.” They both starred on the night with Republican Party downing Merlin in the $250,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup while Muscle Mountain ran away with the Group 1 Peter Breckon Memorial National Trot. That followed earlier victories at Ascot Park’s big day before Christmas with Republican Party winning the Group 1 Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup while Muscle Mountain was victorious in the Group 3 Brendan Franks Farrier David Moss Stakes. “To see both win back to back Group races at either end of the country is a fantastic achievement,” says Steele. HRNZ will sit down with the Auckland Trotting Club in late January to review their December racing, and see what improvements can be made for 2025. View the full article

Iowna Merc winnings at Royal Randwick on December 21, 2024 for trainer Bjorn Baker. Photo: Bradley Photos Iowna Merc delivered a dazzling performance to claim the 2025 Canterbury Sprint, securing back-to-back wins and showcasing his sharp turn of foot in the $200,000 Listed event. Starting at $8.90 with the top online bookmakers, the Bjorn Baker-trained gelding stormed home in a tightly contested finish under jockey Ashley Morgan, defeating Pereille by 0.31 lengths, with Brudenell finishing a further 0.59 lengths back in third. The five-year-old, jumping from barrier six, settled mid-pack early as Eagle Nest and Al Kobe’s Son set a steady pace up front. Turning for home, Iowna Merc navigated traffic expertly and unleashed a powerful finishing burst, overtaking Pereille and holding off late challenges to win in a time of 1:09.12 on a Good 4 surface. 2025 Canterbury Sprint Replay – Iowna Merc https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Canterbury-2025-Listed-Canterbury-Sprint-01012025-Iowna-Merc-Bjorn-Baker-Ashley-Morgan.mp4 Morgan, who has been a regular rider across New South Wales, was thrilled to notch another stakes victory in town. “The plan was to ride him patiently and save him for one run. The speed was on, and when the gaps appeared, he responded brilliantly,” Morgan said post-race. “He’s a tough, honest horse, and it’s great to see him back in form.” Stable representative Luke Hilton praised the gelding’s resilience and Baker’s training efforts. “We weren’t entirely sure if Canterbury would suit him, but he’s in top form, and Ash gave him the perfect ride,” Hilton said. “It’s fantastic to see him wind the clock back and show his best again. Hopefully, this momentum carries into the rest of 2025.” Runner-up Pereille, a $6 Dabble chance, ran valiantly for James Cummings, coming from the tail of the field to narrowly miss victory, while Brudenell’s strong $14 third-place finish suggested he is improving with each start. Eagle Nest, who led for much of the race, and Dollar Magic, who endured a wide run throughout, rounded out the top five. Time To Boogie, the heavily-backed $2.80 Neds favourite, was unlucky in running, trapped in a pocket and unable to unleash his sprint. He finished a disappointing seventh, with connections eyeing a quick turnaround. With this victory, Iowna Merc has now seven wins from 20 starts, pushing his career earnings past $776,000. Bjorn Baker and connections will now look to build on this success as they plot his next move. Horse racing news View the full article

Grand Pierro after winning the Bagot Handicap at Flemington Racecourse on January 01, 2025 in Flemington, Australia. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos) Grand Piero delivered a determined performance to win the 141st edition of the Listed Bagot Handicap at Flemington, surging to victory under jockey Zac Spain. The five-year-old gelding, trained by Jason Warren, overcame a strong field and tricky conditions over the 2800m journey to claim the prestigious staying race, earning the $105,000 first prize. Settling midfield early, Spain rode Gran Piero patiently, sticking to the pre-race plan of saving the gelding’s energy for a decisive late surge. As the race unfolded, Grand Piero tracked up behind the leaders and unleashed his turn of foot in the final 300m. Despite a late challenge from Interpretation, Gran Piero held firm, winning by three-quarters of a length in a time of 2:55.60, paying $9 at Blondebet. Momona finished third, a further 2.5 lengths behind. 2025 Bagot Handicap Replay – Grand Piero https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Flemington-2025-Listed-Bagot-Handicap-01012025-Grand-Pierro-Jason-Warren-Zac-Spain.mp4 Spain was thrilled with the victory, attributing the win to a perfectly executed strategy. “The plan was to go back from the wide draw, find the rail, and ride him for luck,” Spain said post-race. “He’s a stayer with a bit of zip, and when the runs appeared, he quickened nicely. He’s got a great temperament for staying races, and today he showed he’s got the class to win big.” Trainer Jason Warren expressed his pride in Grand Piero’s consistent performances this preparation, which included a narrow second in the Pakenham Cup. “We’ve been building towards this,” Warren said. “He’s been full of merit in his last three runs, and today everything clicked. Zac rode him perfectly, and the horse responded brilliantly.” Grand Piero’s win further cements his credentials as a promising stayer, adding a prestigious staying race to his résumé. Warren hinted at future plans, including a potential tilt at the Adelaide Cup later in the season. “This race is a great stepping stone, and we’ll look at freshening him up before heading to Adelaide. He’s shown he can handle the trip and has plenty of improvement left.” Runner-up Interpretation ran an impressive race after a lengthy layoff, while Momona’s strong finish highlighted her staying potential. Early race favourite Goldman faded late after leading for much of the journey, eventually finishing fifth. Grand Piero’s victory was a triumph for Grand Syndicates, who celebrated their gelding’s transformation from a consistent place-getter into a stakes-winning stayer. Horse racing news View the full article

By Jonny Turner Tactics look set to be the key factor as Mo’unga and Pinseeker go head to head in Thursday’s Group 3 Central Otago Trotting Cup at Omakau. The two star pacers head a field of just five runners confirmed for the 2000m feature. While the pair are closely matched on talent, Mo’unga and Pinseeker appear poles apart on the early tactical speed they’ve shown so far. The Regan Todd trained Mo’unga is a noted mobile speedster who can overcome drawing the outside of the front line with a fast beginning for driver Robbie Close. And Todd expects to see the horse given the chance to do exactly that. “It is a race where most likely we are going to have to be positive,” Todd said. “He has good gate speed and he is one of the better-performed horses in the race.” “It will be up to Robbie to sum things up, but you have to be handy at Omakau.” The pacer did just that two starts ago at Addington when blitzing his rivals before his last start sixth in the Invercargill Cup. Mo’unga got back in the running of the Invercargill Cup after a fair standing start beginning and couldn’t catch the leaders on fast closing sectionals. “I was rapt with his Invercargill Cup run, he would have run very fast sectionals to finish where he did.” “He has come through the trip well and I have been happy with him leading into Omakau.” “We will go down there and give it a crack and then he can have a bit of a spell.” While his class isn’t to be questioned, Pinseeker hasn’t proved himself as a gate flyer. The pacer hasn’t had many opportunities, having had only three mobile starts during his career. In the first two of those he drew on the second row, while in the third he wasn’t pushed out of the gate by trainer-driver Jonny Cox. Pinseeker dominated his rivals in the Gore Cup last Wednesday, setting the pacer the task of backing up at Omakau six days later. With Pinseeker having thrived since his Gore win, Cox is confident the horse is ready for another big effort. “We took him up to Cromwell after Gore and he has settled in really well, he’s licked the (feed) bowl clean and seems bright in himself,” Cox said. Mo’unga has been rated at $1.55 win odds ahead of the feature with Pinseeker at $2.80. The pair dominate betting, with One Change, Da Vinci and Song Sung Blue rated behind the favourite pair. Harrison Orange with four House runners at Tauherenikau By Brigette Solomon Junior driver Harrison Orange is hoping to get his season off to a good start at Tauherenikau races on Thursday (January 2) with four competitive drives for Canterbury based trainer Michael House. “I’ve never been to Tauherenikau before so I’m looking forward to racing on the grass there and the drives I’ve got today are all pretty decent too,” says Orange, “he House team normally tends to go pretty good when they come up to race.” In the first of the day, Orange drives Son Of Patrick in the Hilton Delegat Painting & Decorating Handicap Trot. The Father Patrick gelding’s last two starts have been against tough opposition in Canterbury, most recently finishing fifth at his last start on December 22 at Ashburton. On that occasion Son Of Patrick settled on the fence near the rear of the field, with driver Wilson House taking all the short cuts and getting an easy inside run up the home straight to battle on solidly for fifth with the race won by Sunny Louis. Son Of Patrick starts tomorrow’s race off a 50 metre handicap. “He went really well last start and he won last time he came North too,” says Orange, “although he starts off 50 metres, there’s only one horse on the front line, with the rest of the field off 30 and 50 metres which means it won’t be as much of a bother to overcome and tack on to the field.” In the Osborne Group Chartered Accountants Mobile Pace over 2000 metres, Orange partners Megyn Kelly who is a new addition to the House Stable. The lightly raced mare’s best result to date has been a fourth placing back in March last year but her most recent run on the grass at Oamaru on December 11 had merit when after being slow away from a standing start, she sat at the tail of the field before making up plenty of ground to run on into sixth place. “Megyn Kelly has probably been racing stronger fields and went well enough last start so hopefully gets some luck,” says Orange. In races three and four, Orange drives Fabricate and Stickifingers, both of whom start their respective events in good form. Fabricate last raced at Palmerston North for back to back placings on December 10 and 12, when narrowly beaten by 0.3 lengths on day one, and finishing third on day two when run down late after leading up to be beaten just a length by Stealers Wheel. “I think Fabricate (7) is probably my best chance of the day, but Stickifingers (6) also won the amateur race pretty well the other day,” says Orange. Stickifingers was a fresh up winner at Addington in the amateur driver’s event on December 17 at her first appearance since joining the House stable. Driven by Michael House, the lightly-raced Vincent mare took the lead from her starting draw of five and in a well rated drive was able to dictate the pace and hold off the late challenge by Katherine to win by 0.75 lengths. Racing at Tauherenikau gets underway at 11.30am with grass track racing continuing in the North on Monday January 6 with the Kapiti Coast meeting at Otaki. View the full article

Progressive stayer Son of Sun (NZ) (Tavistock) continued his golden run at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day when taking out the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) in the hands of in-form hoop Matt Cartwright. The five-year-old son of Tavistock had won four of his six prior starts at the Auckland venue, including the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers Championship Qualifier (2100m) last month. His record on the track didn’t evade punters attention, who backed him into $5.50 favouritism for Wednesday’s staying feature. Travelling midfield for much of the journey, Son of Sun spotted leader Arby five lengths at the top of the straight, but under the urgings of Cartwright, he was able to reel in his rival to score by a neck. “He won well, he is a good stayer and hopefully he carries on with it,” said Grant Cooksley, who trains Son of Sun in partnership with Bruce Wallace. Son of Sun has now won six of his 18 career starts and nearly $340,000 in prizemoney, but Cooksley believes the best is still ahead for the gelding. “I think he is going to be a little bit better in six months,” he said. “I know he is a five-year-old, but he is a slow-maturing horse, and he has come along very well.” A return to Ellerslie for the Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) on Champions Day in March is an obvious target for Son of Sun, but Cooksley said he hasn’t made any set plans. “He is nominated (for the Auckland Cup), but we will see what happens,” he said. Bred by Malway Farm, Son of Sun was purchased by Baiquing Sun out of Cambridge Stud’s 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $65,000 and is raced by Sun under his New Zealand Gingkosun Investment Ltd banner. The Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) has proven to be a successful race for Cooksley and Grant, who won last year’s running at Pukekohe with Trust In You, who went on to run in last year’s Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m). The six-year-old gelding finished sixth in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie on Wednesday and is also a major player for the Auckland Cup, sharing top billing for the staying feature on the TAB Futures Market at $10 alongside his stablemate and Australian raider Interpretation. View the full article

Trainer Stephen Marsh believed he had two live chances going into the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie on New Years Day, and that judgement proved spot on as his lightweight runner Bourbon Empress (NZ) (Proisir) downed a talented line-up of milers to claim victory. The four-year-old daughter of Proisir had caught the eye when finishing a hard charging second in the Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final (1500m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, notably a race that stablemate and race rival Provence had missed in favour of a start (and victory) in the Royal Descent Stakes (1400m) on the same day. Marsh found it hard to split the pair leading into the feature mile and felt luck in running might play a role in the final outcome. That was exactly how it played out as Bourbon Empress and rider Matt Cartwright found clear running wider out in the home straight as Provence and Sam Spratt were cluttered up behind runners desperately searching for room in the final 300m. Bourbon Empress swooped to the front at that point with the well supported Jaarffi on her inner and that pair slugged it out to the finish which went in favour of the Marsh runner by just under a length with Uderzo holding out a late charge from the unlucky Provence to finish third. Marsh was all smiles and delighted the planning for an assault on the race had paid off so well for his team. “That was ultra satisfying as we were worried about her wide draw (12), although you then get Provence who was drawn on the fence (1) and didn’t get any luck,” Marsh said. “She was three wide with cover and when she came out you could see she was going to finish it off. “That race (the Stella Artois Final) has been a great race for us as a lead-up and she has run really well today and will keep improving. “She loves it here at Ellerslie and there is a nice race for her here on Karaka Millions night, so she can have a wee breather and come back for that.” The race Marsh was referring to is the $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m) for the four-year-olds on 25 January. Cartwright was also rapt to secure a big race victory on the mare who he has ridden in three of her four career wins. “I’ve been riding this horse most of her prep and she is a mare that just wants to please you,” he said. “She was down in the weights and got a good run and she showed what she has got. “She has threatened to be up to this sort of class if everything went her way and it did today. “It got a bit sticky as she missed the kick, so I just put her away and we followed the second horse (Jaarffi) three-wide but with a good cart into the race and she got there nicely with the light weight (53kgs). “She is still green as she ran in but there is room there for improvement in the future.” Cartwright was quick to collect a second feature event on the day when he was successful on the Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley-prepared Son Of Sun in the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) just one race later. Raced by a large group that includes American Dennis Foster and friends under their Bourbon Lane Stable New Zealand LLC Partnership along with Marsh’s father Burce and numerous long term stable supporters, Bourbon Empress was purchased by Marsh for $80,000 out of Highline Thoroughbreds’ 2022 Book 1 Yearling Sale draft at Karaka. Her 10 career starts have yielded four wins, four placings and over $282,000 in prizemoney earnings. View the full article

Promising filly Real Class (NZ) (Vadamos) has put herself firmly into $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) calculations following her victory in the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. The daughter of Vadamos settled midfield for jockey Rory Hutchings, who elected to improve his filly three-wide from the 800m mark and hit the lead within 200m. Her rivals were looming on the turn, but Real Class was able to show her tenacity and repelled their advances to win by three-quarters of a length over the fast-finishing Bella Montagna (NZ) (Belardo). Real Class is accruing an enviable record, having now won two of her four career starts, and was well backed by punters on Wednesday following her third placing in the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at the Auckland track last week. Trainer Jenna Mahoney, who races the filly with her partner Grant Dixon, is excited about Real Class’s prospects following the win. “It was a top ride from Rory,” she said. “It is nice to have another handy one in the stable.” Mahoney is now eyeing a path towards the New Zealand Oaks at Trentham in March and believes the distance is ideal for her filly. “She should love the 2400m, the further she goes the better she will get I think,” she said. Bred by Greg Tomlinson under his Nearco Stud banner, Real Class is out of Group One performer Mill Duckie, who herself finished 10th in the same race in 2009 before going on to win the Listed Sunline Vase (2100m) and place in the New Zealand Oaks for trainer Richard Collett. She also added two Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) placings to her record as well as placings in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m), Gr.3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) and Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2100m). She has gone on to produce stakes performers Righteous Mate and High Class, as well as Real Class, with Mahoney training High Class to a runner-up result in the 2015 running of the Listed Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). It was this association that led to Mahoney acquiring Real Class. “Because we had a lot to do with the family, we got offered her to carry on with and we decided to give her a go off Gordon Cunningham from Curraghmore,” Mahoney said. While Mahoney is looking forward to a potentially lucrative autumn campaign with her filly, she said there has already been interest from foreign buyers. “There has been a fair bit of interest from Australia, so we will see what happens,” she said. View the full article

Waikato Stud-bred star Atishu has produced some of the highlights of her illustrious career at Flemington, and her promising full-sister Dream All Day won at the same venue in the A$65,000 Henry Byron Moore Handicap (1600m) on New Year’s Day. Dream All Day is by champion Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel out of the No Excuse Needed mare Posy. That same mating produced Atishu, the winner of 11 of her 47 races and more than A$5 million. Her three Group One triumphs include Flemington’s Champions Stakes (2000m) and Empire Rose Stakes (1600m). Those achievements are a hard act for any younger sibling to follow, but Dream All Day has made an encouraging start with six starts for two wins, four placings and A$137,300 in stakes. The four-year-old was sent out as a $2 favourite on Wednesday on the strength of her last-start placing at Ballarat, where she produced a strong finish for third in the A$250,000 Emerging Stars Final (1400m) on December 7. The outside gate in a field of nine presented a challenge, but Dream All Day broke well and worked forward to take the lead in the hands of leading jockey Blake Shinn. They were able to dominate the race from that point on, kicking away in the straight to beat second favourite Enxuto by three-quarters of a length. There were another three lengths back to the third-placed Wascaly. “It was obvious that there wasn’t going to be a lot of pace in the race,” Shinn said. “I just had to try to get her out of the barriers a bit better than her last couple of starts. Once she did that, it gave me the option to roll forward and lead. We dictated the race and she was just too good. “There’s more under the hood too. She’s just got to come back to us a little more, especially when ridden in that vein. She’s a work in progress but has plenty of upside. Waikato Stud can breed a good one, and it’s great to ride a winner for them.” Dream All Day’s connections believe increasing distances will favour the emerging mare. “That was very soft win today, really,” said Michael Kent Jr, who trains in partnership with Mick Price. “She was pulling away at the line, with Blake riding her hands and heels. “This shows how versatile she is. She’d been giving away big starts in her first two runs of this campaign, not really by plan, but she’s just been jumping up instead of out when the gates open. “We left Blake with a very open book today. She began well and then had to work a little bit to take the lead, but it was good to see her do that. “She’s bred to get 2000m or 2400m, so with the turn of foot and class that she has, she might be a nice mare for our stable. “I think there might be a race over 1800m in a few weeks that might suit her, but we’ll talk to Mark Chittick and Waikato Stud and make out a plan”. “You’d like to give her another win and then put her away. She’s a lovely mare for the future.” View the full article

Willydoit (NZ) (Tarzino) firmed up his Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) favouritism when he made it back-to-back wins at Ellerslie in the Horizon By SkyCity 1600 on New Year’s Day. From his outside gate in the eight-horse field, Willydoit settled at the back of the pack for jockey Masa Hashizume before improving to sit three-back on the fence. Turning for home he was stuck behind a wall of horses, but Hashizume kept a cool head and waited for a gap to open. When one presented, the country’s leading jockey was quick to take it and Willydoit was able to show the qualities that have earned him Derby favouritism when shooting away to a 2-3/4 length victory over Group Three winner Tuxedo (NZ) (Tivaci). Shaun Clotworthy, who trains the three-year-old son of Tarzino in partnership with his wife Emma, was duly impressed with his performance. “It is a pretty big statement. It looks like he is a well above average horse,” he said. With victory, Willydoit shortened into $3 favouritism for the Derby ahead of the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Checkmate (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) at $10. Clotworthy has no doubt his charge will see out the 2400m Derby distance on Champions Day at Ellerslie in March. “He has got a nice turn of foot and he will get a Derby distance,” he said. “He is a pretty relaxed individual and he doesn’t take too much out of himself. “We will just see how the horse pulls up, but that (Guineas path) looks the logical programme.” Bred by Westbury Stud principal Gerry Harvey, Willydoit was offered through the farm’s 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft where he was purchased by Clotworthy for $75,000. Following his 1150m trial victory at Waipa in October, American-based syndicator My Racehorse joined the ownership group. My Racehorse offers affordable ownership through micro shares, with their business model famously showcased by Gr.1 Kentucky Derby (2000m) winner Authentic, with My Racehorse’s 12.5 percent stake in the former US Horse of the Year shared among 5,000 people. Wearing My Racehorse’s red and black silks, Willydoit has now won two of his three starts, after placing on debut, and earned more than $62,000 in prizemoney. View the full article

Central Districts filly Too Sweet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) lived up to punters expectations when she downed a handy field in the Gr.2 SKYCITY Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. Brought north by trainer Roydon Bergerson after winning on debut at Trentham back in October and then finishing second at that venue in early December, the daughter of Rich Hill Stud stallion Satono Aladdin closed as the $3 Fixed Odds favourite for the first stakes race of the New Year after some inspired late support. Rider Michael McNab took the initiative when the filly made a lightning beginning from her outside (9) barrier and dictated proceedings from another well backed runner in Sweet Ice. Having her first start going in the clockwise direction, Too Sweet handled the tricky Ellerslie circuit with ease as she cornered beautifully and then kicked away from her rivals at the 300m. La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth), Toretto (NZ) (Ardrossan) and Almakeitgood (NZ) (Ardrossan) all closed gamely but Too Sweet proved too strong as she hit the finish line 1-1/2 lengths to the good of her rivals. Bergerson was thrilled with the way his charge handled the Ellerslie track ahead of the $1 million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at the Auckland venue on 25 January, and he is excited for the syndicate who race her, which includes his son Sam (co-trainer of runner-up La Dorada) and her Karaka Yearling Sale purchaser Chris Rutten. “There is nothing much better in racing than when you win a race for your son, the leading trainer in New Zealand,” Bergerson said. “She won pretty well and is a good horse with a good brain on her. “Michael took the initiative, as our plan was to drop in behind them, but she flew the gate and that was it.” Bergerson confirmed that Too Sweet would follow in the footsteps of another top juvenile filly he trained in Wolverine, who won the same event in 2022 before finishing runner-up to Dynastic in the Karaka Million 2YO three weeks later. “I think she is as good as Wolverine as she has a great turn of foot and probably has a better brain all around,” he said. “Sam can take over now as we will leave her at Te Akau where she will go out on the water walker for a week and then bring her back here in three weeks.” McNab admitted he threw the original game plan out the window when the filly jumped brilliantly at the start. “The plan was to ride her quiet from a wide gate as there looked good speed (on paper),” he said. “After I’d gone a few strides, I thought I might as well be the one who takes it up (pacemaking) and it worked out really well. “She was a little aggressive and quite fresh, but she found a good kick and that gives you confidence for what’s ahead. “She can race from behind, from the front, so she can do it all.” TAB Bookmakers shortened her price dramatically for the Karaka Million 2YO immediately after the victory, and she now sits as the $4 Fixed Odds favourite ahead of La Dorada ($5.50) and Almakeitgood ($7). Rutten paid $50,000 to purchase Too Sweet from Phoenix Park’s draft at Karaka last year, and he is no stranger to Karaka Millions success, having won the race with Vespa in 2014 and has collected minor placings with Touche (2013), Kingsman (2016), Yourdeel (2019), Avonallo (2021), and Wolverine (2022). He also had success with Scott Base in the Karaka Million 3YO (1600m) in 2018. View the full article

Son of Sun winning the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m). Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Progressive stayer Son of Sun continued his golden run at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day when taking out the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) in the hands of in-form hoop Matt Cartwright. The five-year-old son of Tavistock had won four of his six prior starts at the Auckland venue, including the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers Championship Qualifier (2100m) last month. His record on the track didn’t evade punters attention, who backed him into $5.50 favouritism with Picklebet for Wednesday’s staying feature. Travelling midfield for much of the journey, Son of Sun spotted leader Arby five lengths at the top of the straight, but under the urgings of Cartwright, he was able to reel in his rival to score by a neck. 2025 Queen Elizabeth II Cup Replay – Son of Sun https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Ellerslie-2024-Group-2-Queen-Elizabeth-II-Cup-01012025-Son-Of-Sun-Bruce-Wallace-Grant-Cooksley-Matt-Cartwright.mp4 “He won well, he is a good stayer and hopefully he carries on with it,” said Grant Cooksley, who trains Son of Sun in partnership with Bruce Wallace. Son of Sun has now won six of his 18 career starts and nearly $340,000 in prizemoney, but Cooksley believes the best is still ahead for the gelding. “I think he is going to be a little bit better in six months,” he said. “I know he is a five-year-old, but he is a slow-maturing horse, and he has come along very well.” A return to Ellerslie for the Group 2 Auckland Cup (3200m) on Champions Day in March is an obvious target for Son of Sun, but Cooksley said he hasn’t made any set plans. “He is nominated (for the Auckland Cup), but we will see what happens,” he said. Bred by Malway Farm, Son of Sun was purchased by Baiquing Sun out of Cambridge Stud’s 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $65,000 and is raced by Sun under his New Zealand Gingkosun Investment Ltd banner. The Group 3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) has proven to be a successful race for Cooksley and Grant, who won last year’s running at Pukekohe with Trust In You, who went on to run in last year’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m). The six-year-old gelding finished sixth in the Group 2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie on Wednesday and is also a major player for the Auckland Cup, sharing top billing for the staying feature on the horse racing bookmakers Futures Market at $10 alongside his stablemate and Australian raider Interpretation. Horse racing news View the full article

What Yarra Valley Races Where Yarra Valley Racing – Armstrong Grove, Yarra Glen VIC 3775 When Thursday, January 2, 2025 First Race 1:30pm AEDT Visit Dabble Racing in Victoria heads to Yarra Valley on Thursday afternoon, where a competitive eight-race meeting awaits punters. The track has come up as a Soft 5 at the time of acceptances, but with clear skies forecast, it is likely to begin as a Good 4 come race one. The rail sticks in its true position, with the first event set to jump at 1:30pm AEDT. Best Bet at Yarra Valley: Scottie’s Legacy Scottie’s Legacy found one better at her first crack at the 2000m at Mornington last time out, but the 1950m BM58 she strikes on Thursday looks to be a relative easy kill on what she has displayed so far. For a stayer on the rise, the Almanzor mare has a strong turn of foot and is set to be aided by a genuinely run event throughout. With Logan Bates claiming 2kg, she gets in perfectly with just 58kg on her back, and with a well-timed sprint, Scottie’s Legacy looks different gravy against this lot. Best Bet Race 6 – #2 Scottie’s Legacy (4) 4yo Mare | T: Mark Walker | J: Logan Bates (a2) (60kg) Bet with Neds Next Best at Yarra Valley: The Marg Factor The Marg Factor has not won in 15 months but may not get a better chance than when she lines up in BM58 company. The seven-year-old mare was only grabbed in the shadows of the winning post at Cranbourne on December 13 when leading over 1400m and a repeat effort up to 1500m should see her break through for an overdue victory. In barrier two with Tianni Chapman claiming 2kg, the Hvasstan mare should have no issue holding the lead, and if she can kick off the home bend, The Marg Factor should prove too hard to run down. Next Best Race 7 – #9 The Marg Factor (2) 7yo Mare | T: Peter Gelagotis | J: Tianni Chapman (a2) (59.5kg) Bet with BlondeBet Best Value at Yarra Valley: Li’l Brazen Li’l Brazen has been well supported with horse racing bookmakers at both starts this campaign but is yet to break through for that elusive maiden triumph. The three-year-old filly looked like the winner first-up before finding one better over 1000m, before seemingly struggling to run out the 1143m last time out at Geelong. The Brazen Beau filly steps back to the 1000m scamper third-up, and from barrier seven, if Joe Bowditch can land the one-one and stalk the speed, Li’l Brazen has shown enough so far to suggest she can run a bottler here. Best Value Race 3 – #8 Li’l Brazen (7) 3yo Filly | T: Phillip Stokes | J: Joe Bowditch (56kg) Bet with Picklebet Thursday quaddie tips for Yarra Valley Yarra Valley quadrella selections Thursday, January 2, 2025 2-5-6-9 2 1-6-9 3-6-11-13 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Bourbon Empress winning the Group 2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m). Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Trainer Stephen Marsh believed he had two live chances going into the Group 2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie on New Years Day, and that judgement proved spot on as his lightweight runner Bourbon Empress downed a talented line-up of milers to claim victory. The four-year-old daughter of Proisir had caught the eye when finishing a hard-charging second in the Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final (1500m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, notably a race that stablemate and race rival Provence had missed in favour of a start (and victory) in the Royal Descent Stakes (1400m) on the same day. Marsh found it hard to split the pair leading into the feature mile and felt luck in running might play a role in the final outcome. That was exactly how it played out as Bourbon Empress and rider Matt Cartwright found clear running wider out in the home straight as Provence and Sam Spratt were cluttered up behind runners desperately searching for room in the final 300m. Bourbon Empress swooped to the front at that point with the well-supported Jaarffi on her inner, and that pair slugged it out to the finish, which went in favour of the Marsh runner by just under a length with Uderzo holding out a late charge from the unlucky Provence to finish third. 2025 Group 2 Rich Mile Replay – Bourbon Empress https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Ellerslie-2024-Group-2-Rich-Hill-Mile-01012025-Bourbon-Express-Stephen-Marsh-Matt-Cartwright.mp4 Marsh was all smiles and delighted the planning for an assault on the race had paid off so well for his team. “That was ultra satisfying as we were worried about her wide draw (12), although you then get Provence who was drawn on the fence (1) and didn’t get any luck,” Marsh said. “She was three wide with cover and when she came out you could see she was going to finish it off. “That race (the Stella Artois Final) has been a great race for us as a lead-up and she has run really well today and will keep improving. “She loves it here at Ellerslie and there is a nice race for her here on Karaka Millions night, so she can have a wee breather and come back for that.” The race Marsh was referring to is the $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m) for the four-year-olds on January 25. Cartwright was also rapt to secure a big race victory on the mare who he has ridden in three of her four career wins. “I’ve been riding this horse most of her prep and she is a mare that just wants to please you,” he said. “She was down in the weights and got a good run and she showed what she has got. “She has threatened to be up to this sort of class if everything went her way and it did today. “It got a bit sticky as she missed the kick, so I just put her away and we followed the second horse (Jaarffi) three-wide but with a good cart into the race and she got there nicely with the light weight (53kgs). “She is still green as she ran in but there is room there for improvement in the future.” Horse racing news View the full article

Dream All Day (NZ), ridden by Blake Shinn winning at Flemington. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos) Waikato Stud-bred star Atishu has produced some of the highlights of her illustrious career at Flemington, and her promising full-sister Dream All Day won at the same venue on New Year’s Day. Dream All Day is by champion Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel out of the No Excuse Needed mare Posy. That same mating produced Atishu, the winner of 11 of her 47 races and more than $5 million. Her three Group One triumphs include Flemington’s Champions Stakes (2000m) and Empire Rose Stakes (1600m). Those achievements are a hard act for any younger sibling to follow, but Dream All Day has made an encouraging start with six starts for two wins, four placings, and $137,300 in stakes. The four-year-old was sent out as a $2 favourite with Neds on Wednesday on the strength of her last-start placing at Ballarat, where she produced a strong finish for third in the $250,000 Emerging Stars Final (1400m) on December 7. The outside gate in a field of nine presented a challenge, but Dream All Day broke well and worked forward to take the lead in the hands of leading jockey Blake Shinn. They were able to dominate the race from that point on, kicking away in the straight to beat second favourite Enxuto by three-quarters of a length. There were another three lengths back to the third-placed Wascaly. “It was obvious that there wasn’t going to be a lot of pace in the race,” Shinn said. “I just had to try to get her out of the barriers a bit better than her last couple of starts. Once she did that, it gave me the option to roll forward and lead. We dictated the race and she was just too good. “There’s more under the hood too. She’s just got to come back to us a little more, especially when ridden in that vein. She’s a work in progress but has plenty of upside. Waikato Stud can breed a good one, and it’s great to ride a winner for them.” Dream All Day’s connections believe increasing distances will favour the emerging mare. “That was very soft win today, really,” said Michael Kent Jr, who trains in partnership with Mick Price. “She was pulling away at the line, with Blake riding her hands and heels. “This shows how versatile she is. She’d been giving away big starts in her first two runs of this campaign, not really by plan, but she’s just been jumping up instead of out when the gates open. “We left Blake with a very open book today. She began well and then had to work a little bit to take the lead, but it was good to see her do that. “She’s bred to get 2000m or 2400m, so with the turn of foot and class that she has, she might be a nice mare for our stable. “I think there might be a race over 1800m in a few weeks that might suit her, but we’ll talk to Mark Chittick and Waikato Stud and make out a plan”. “You’d like to give her another win and then put her away. She’s a lovely mare for the future.” Horse racing news View the full article

Miraval Rose ridden by Craig Williams wins the Kensington Stakes at Flemington Racecourse on January 01, 2025 in Flemington, Australia. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos) Miraval Rose kicked off 2025 with a hard-fought victory in the Listed Kensington Stakes at Flemington, showcasing her class and determination over the 1400m trip. Guided by Craig Williams, the four-year-old mare prevailed by a neck over Moedown, with Roll On High finishing a close third. The win marked her third career stakes success and a promising start to the new year. Settling midfield early, Miraval Rose tracked the pace set by Windstorm and The Open before making her move in the straight. Williams timed his run perfectly, steering her to the front with 150m to go and holding off a strong challenge from Moedown to claim victory in 1:21.60 at $4 odds with PlayUp. 2025 Kensington Stakes Replay – Miraval Rose https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Flemington-2025-Listed-Kensington-Stakes-01012025-Miraval-Rose-Grahame-Begg-Craig-Williams.mp4 Rebecca Shanks, representing trainer Grahame Begg, praised Miraval Rose’s improvement this preparation. “She’s taken a huge step forward from her first-up run and was incredibly unlucky last start when caught wide,” Shanks said. “Today, she was spot-on condition-wise, and Craig gave her the perfect ride. At the top of the straight, she was always going to be hard to beat.” Williams highlighted the flexibility in the pre-race strategy, adding, “The plan was to be positive, but with a tricky field and no clear pace, I was given the freedom to adjust. She’s such a professional, and there’s still more to come from her.” Miraval Rose’s victory continues her strong record at 1400m, where she has now won three time from four attempts. Owned by a passionate syndicate, the mare has amassed $444,725 in career earnings. Runner-up Moedown ran a bold race for Charlotte Littlefield, narrowly missing a second stakes win in as many weeks, while Roll On High produced a strong finish to secure third. Windstorm and The Open, early pace-setters, faded late, with Windstorm finishing last. Begg’s team is now considering a tilt at the Magic Millions Carnival on the Gold Coast, depending on how Miraval Rose pulls up. “She’s a very classy mare with plenty of potential,” Shanks said. “There’s no doubt we’ll see more highlights from her this year.” Horse racing news View the full article

Real Class winning the Group 2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Promising filly Real Class has put herself firmly into $1 million Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) calculations following her victory in the Group 2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. The daughter of Vadamos settled midfield for jockey Rory Hutchings, who elected to improve his filly three-wide from the 800m mark and hit the lead within 200m. Her rivals were looming on the turn, but Real Class was able to show her tenacity and repelled their advances to win by three-quarters of a length over the fast-finishing Bella Montagna. Real Class is accruing an enviable record, having now won two of her four career starts, and was well backed by punters on Wednesday following her third placing in the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at the Auckland track last week. 2025 Group 2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes Replay – Real Class https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Ellerslie-2024-Group-2-Sir-Patrick-Hogan-Stakes-01012025-Real-Class-jenna-Mahoney-Rory-Hutchings.mp4 Trainer Jenna Mahoney, who races the filly with her partner Grant Dixon, is excited about Real Class’s prospects following the win. “It was a top ride from Rory,” she said. “It is nice to have another handy one in the stable.” Mahoney is now eyeing a path towards the New Zealand Oaks at Trentham in March and believes the distance is ideal for her filly. “She should love the 2400m, the further she goes the better she will get I think,” she said. Bred by Greg Tomlinson under his Nearco Stud banner, Real Class is out of Group One performer Mill Duckie, who herself finished 10th in the same race in 2009 before going on to win the Listed Sunline Vase (2100m) and place in the New Zealand Oaks for trainer Richard Collett. She also added two Group 2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) placings to her record, as well as placings in the Group 1 Thorndon Mile (1600m), Group 3 Eagle Technology Stakes (1600m) and Group 3 Trentham Stakes (2100m). She has gone on to produce stakes performers Righteous Mate and High Class, as well as Real Class, with Mahoney training High Class to a runner-up result in the 2015 running of the Listed Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). It was this association that led to Mahoney acquiring Real Class. “Because we had a lot to do with the family, we got offered her to carry on with and we decided to give her a go off Gordon Cunningham from Curraghmore,” Mahoney said. While Mahoney is looking forward to a potentially lucrative autumn campaign with her filly, she said there has already been interest from foreign buyers. “There has been a fair bit of interest from Australia, so we will see what happens,” she said. Horse racing news View the full article

Willydoit winning at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Willydoit firmed up his Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) favouritism when he made it back-to-back wins at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. From his outside gate in the eight-horse field, Willydoit settled at the back of the pack for jockey Masa Hashizume before improving to sit three-back on the fence. Turning for home he was stuck behind a wall of horses, but Hashizume kept a cool head and waited for a gap to open. When one presented, the country’s leading jockey was quick to take it and Willydoit was able to show the qualities that have earned him Derby favouritism when shooting away to a 2.75 length victory over Group Three winner Tuxedo. Shaun Clotworthy, who trains the three-year-old son of Tarzino in partnership with his wife Emma, was duly impressed with his performance. “It is a pretty big statement. It looks like he is a well above average horse,” he said. With victory, Willydoit shortened into $3 favouritism with horse racing bookmakers for the Derby ahead of the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Checkmate at $10. Clotworthy has no doubt his charge will see out the 2400m Derby distance on Champions Day at Ellerslie in March. “He has got a nice turn of foot and he will get a Derby distance,” he said. “He is a pretty relaxed individual and he doesn’t take too much out of himself. “We will just see how the horse pulls up, but that (Guineas path) looks the logical programme.” Bred by Westbury Stud principal Gerry Harvey, Willydoit was offered through the farm’s 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft where he was purchased by Clotworthy for $75,000. Following his 1150m trial victory at Waipa in October, American-based syndicator My Racehorse joined the ownership group. My Racehorse offers affordable ownership through micro shares, with their business model famously showcased by Group 1 Kentucky Derby (2000m) winner Authentic, with My Racehorse’s 12.5 percent stake in the former US Horse of the Year shared among 5,000 people. Wearing My Racehorse’s red and black silks, Willydoit has now won two of his three starts, after placing on debut, and earned more than $62,000 in prizemoney. Horse racing news View the full article

Too Sweet winning the Group 2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Central Districts filly Too Sweet lived up to punters expectations when she downed a handy field in the Group 2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. Brought north by trainer Roydon Bergerson after winning on debut at Trentham back in October and then finishing second at that venue in early December, the daughter of Rich Hill Stud stallion Satono Aladdin closed as the $3 Fixed Odds favourite with BlondeBet for the first stakes race of the New Year after some inspired late support. Rider Michael McNab took the initiative when the filly made a lightning beginning from her outside (9) barrier and dictated proceedings from another well backed runner in Sweet Ice. Having her first start going in the clockwise direction, Too Sweet handled the tricky Ellerslie circuit with ease as she cornered beautifully and then kicked away from her rivals at the 300m. La Dorada, Toretto and Almakeitgood all closed gamely but Too Sweet proved too strong as she hit the finish line 1.5 lengths to the good of her rivals. 2025 Group 2 Eclipse Stakes Replay – Too Sweet https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Ellerslie-2025-Group-2-Eclipse-Stakes-01012025-Too-Sweet-Roydon-Bergerson-Michael-McNab.mp4 Bergerson was thrilled with the way his charge handled the Ellerslie track ahead of the $1 million Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at the Auckland venue on January 25, and he is excited for the syndicate who race her, which includes his son Sam (co-trainer of runner-up La Dorada) and her Karaka Yearling Sale purchaser Chris Rutten. “There is nothing much better in racing than when you win a race for your son, the leading trainer in New Zealand,” Bergerson said. “She won pretty well and is a good horse with a good brain on her. “Michael took the initiative, as our plan was to drop in behind them, but she flew the gate and that was it.” Bergerson confirmed that Too Sweet would follow in the footsteps of another top juvenile filly he trained in Wolverine, who won the same event in 2022 before finishing runner-up to Dynastic in the Karaka Million 2YO three weeks later. “I think she is as good as Wolverine as she has a great turn of foot and probably has a better brain all around,” he said. “Sam can take over now as we will leave her at Te Akau where she will go out on the water walker for a week and then bring her back here in three weeks.” McNab admitted he threw the original game plan out the window when the filly jumped brilliantly at the start. “The plan was to ride her quiet from a wide gate as there looked good speed (on paper),” he said. “After I’d gone a few strides, I thought I might as well be the one who takes it up (pacemaking) and it worked out really well. “She was a little aggressive and quite fresh, but she found a good kick and that gives you confidence for what’s ahead. “She can race from behind, from the front, so she can do it all.” Horse racing bookmakers shortened her price dramatically for the Karaka Million 2YO immediately after the victory, and she now sits as the $4 Fixed Odds favourite ahead of La Dorada ($5.50) and Almakeitgood ($7). Horse racing news View the full article

It’s straight back into action for our best drivers and trainers, Dexter Dunn completes an amazing year and Next Gen heads south in the first News Briefs for 2025. No rest for premiership winners Just hours after clinching their latest drivers and trainers’ premierships, Blair Orange and Robert and Jenna Dunn will be back in action today as the 2025 season gets underway at Rangiora, starting at 1.10pm. The season wrapped up after last night’s big Auckland Cup meeting at Alexandra Park with Orange finishing with 196 wins, and surpassing $3.5m in stakes earnings for the first time. Orange finished 59 wins clear of nearest challenger John Dunn (137) with Sam Ottley third (108) after becoming the first woman to get 100 wins in a 12 month season. It was Orange’s eighth premiership win in a row while the Diamond Racing combo also went back to back with 137 wins in 2024. Steve and Amanda Telfer were next on 116, with Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan third with 77 but the most stakes earnings at $3.29m. Their stable star Merlin, who finished second behind Republican Party in last night’s $250,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup, was the top earning horse in this country for the year. He amassed $796,125 with seven wins from 13 starts. Aussies Just Believe ($690k) and dual New Zealand Cup winner Swayzee ($540k) were next. To see today’s fields at Rangiora click here DD no 1 in USA Dexter Dunn can also look back at a personal best 2024. The ex-pat Kiwi champion, who has just won his fifth USA Driver of the Year title in six years, had 304 wins in the year with total stakes of $16.64m. It was his most successful year yet. He was the leading stakes earner in North America by a long stretch with Yannick Gingras second on $14.5m and Jason Bartlett on $12.6m. Dunn had 304 wins, with the winningest driver being Aaron Merriman with 871. His stakes earnings were $8.6m. Dunn will soon be heading to Australia for the Ultimate Driver Championships at Albion Park in Brisbane in February alongside the likes of Gingras and newly crowned NZ Junior Driver premiership winner and Trillian Trust Auckland Cup winner Carter Dalgety. The end for Freehold Freehold Raceway, the oldest race track in the USA, has held its last meeting. Situated in New Jersey, Freehold has been in existence for 170 years. But with land values increasing and dwindling crowds the decision was made earlier this year for it to close. Its last meeting was held on December 28. One racegoer described driving to the last meeting as “like going to a funeral”. Girl power at the Mot There was a nice mother-daughter double at Motukarara Racecourse on Sunday. In Race 3 Sam Ottley continued her amazing run of success of late by winning with Justa Terra, trained by her mother Denise at West Melton. And two races earlier Rolleston trainer Bernard Lomas lined up two trotters, The Gardeners Pride and her daughter Senior Constable Liz in the same race. The Gardener’s Pride is now 10 and has had nine placings from 36 starts while Senior Constable Liz is just a two-year-old filly with three lifetime starts. Mum was fourth, her daughter 10th. Next Gen heads south Information on HRNZ’s Next Gen ownership initiative will be available at Omakau tomorrow (January 2) and at Cromwell (January 6). A booth manned by HRNZ staff will be on course for both race days. Racegoers will also get the opportunity to enter a draw to win a share in a racehorse. For more information on Next Gen click here Tickets for HRNZ awards Tickets for next month’s HRNZ annual awards at Addington Raceway will go on sale from next Monday, January 6. Tickets costing $130 each include a food and beverage package. The awards will he held on Saturday, February 8, with doors opening at 5.15pm and the awards getting underway at 6pm. For all enquiries contact courtney@hrnz.co.nz View the full article

An appreciation, by T.D. Thornton Over the course of 45 years as a jockey, trainer, owner and breeder, Patricia E. Meadow never really cared for it to be publicized that she was a Harvard University astrophysics major who had additionally earned a medical-school degree. She rarely, if ever, referred to herself around the racetrack by her hard-earned “doctor” title. Although Meadow accumulated only 32 victories from 480 lifetime starts over nearly four decades of training and hadn't saddled a winner since 2019, her passing Dec. 29 was met with an outpouring of fond remembrances from people whose lives she touched in the Thoroughbred communities of New England, upstate New York, and in Aiken, South Carolina, where she died at age 74. Horseplayers might recall Meadow's name as the conditioner of a small stable of long shots that competed as recently as this past season at Saratoga Race Course, where they occasionally outran their odds. Others who were lucky enough to have a closer relationship with the private and charmingly eccentric Meadow–a woman who exercised her own horses up until very recently and often insisted on hand-walking her starters from the backside to the paddock on race days–affectionately referred to the soft-spoken, bespectacled trainer as “galloping granny.” In numerous online postings in her honor over the past several days, those who knew Meadow used adjectives like inspiring, philosophical, gracious, unpretentious, meticulous and, yes, even stubborn to describe how she made lasting impressions upon those she met in the horse world. In the program, Meadow was listed as the trainer, owner and breeder (under the stable name Sky Band Farm) for most of the horses she entered, starting with her very first runner at Suffolk Downs in 1987. For decades, her Canton-based racing outfit 25 miles south of Boston consisted of a handful of Massachusetts-breds that she mated, foaled and raised herself. In general, her Thoroughbreds weren't very fast, but they were sound, healthy and exceptionally well-cared for. Even on the hardscrabble New England circuit of the 1990s, Meadow's horsemanship was well respected by trainers who competed against her and deeply appreciated by the jockeys who rode for her. During that time I would occasionally cross paths with Meadow and exchange pleasantries on the Suffolk backstretch, where I worked as the track's media relations director and announcer. I recall her as painfully shy, but always polite, thoughtful and articulate. Minding her own business in Barn 16A, Meadow preferred to blend into the workmanlike cacophony of the backstretch, distinguished by pensive blue eyes, renegade wisps of hair that escaped her graying ponytail, and a kind word for everyone she encountered. The one thing that did stand out like a beacon about Meadow's stable, however, were the unconventional names she chose for her homebreds. Favoring internationally themed monikers that often started with the letters Z, Y and Q (and in esoteric combinations that made racecallers cry out, “Buy a vowel!”), Meadow christened her babies Zyxt, Zwyn, Zhu, Zaqqum, Yttyzz, Ydy, Qyrghyz and Qom, to name just a few. You could always tell without looking at the Racing Form if she had acquired a horse from someone else, because it had a name you could actually pronounce. Meadow had long asserted her resistance to having her unique combination of being a doctor and a horse trainer featured as a media curiosity. In my 2007 book about Suffolk Downs, Not by a Long Shot–A Season at a Hard-Luck Horse Track, I briefly recounted my one and only attempt to arrange an interview with Meadow for a local newspaper. Our phone conversation went something like this: Me: Patty? I was wondering if you'd be interested in helping out a reporter who's looking to do a profile on interesting people at Suffolk Downs. Meadow: Thank you, but I'd rather not. Me: Um, all right. Would it be okay if I just asked you a few questions about your background as a doctor and passed the info along to the writer? Meadow: I'd prefer to talk about my horses. Me: Well…Okay…Could I ask you about some of the offbeat names you've chosen for them? Meadow: Which ones do you consider “offbeat?” Me: Ybbs? Meadow: An Austrian river. Me: Ysaye? Meadow: A 19th Century Belgian violinist. Me: Qom? Meadow: A holy city in Persia. Me: Qyrghyz? Meadow: A people in Kyrgyzstan. Without the Americanized spelling. Look, I don't like phone interviews, so you really should come down to my barn and talk to me in person if you want to do this. I stopped by Meadow's shedrow on several subsequent occasions. But the doctor always seemed to be conveniently out whenever anyone carrying a reporter's notebook happened by. Patricia Meadow | courtesy of Barry Bornstein The one and only news clip in the Suffolk Downs press box files about Meadow was a 1980 Boston Globe profile of a bashful 29-year-old med school grad breaking into the game as an apprentice jockey. In that piece, Meadow explained how she grew attached to horses at a young age. It started when her father, a pillar of the Harvard Medical School faculty, had given her a pony at age six to teach responsibility. By the time Meadow was 14, her parents allowed her to spend three months at a Nebraska horse farm, where she enthusiastically juggled barn chores while honing her riding skills. In exchange for a summer's worth of hard work, the farm's owner promised Meadow a yearling colt to take home to the family farm in suburban Boston. But as the hours on the farm morphed into days and weeks, the excited teen increasingly appalled her mother and father with talk about staying out of school to continue learning about horses, maybe even training for the Olympic equestrian team. It was then that the Midwest horseman gave Meadow a talking-to before sending her home with her colt. “He sat me down and told me to go to school and finish my education,” Meadow said in that 1980 Globe interview. “He said I could always go back to horses, but it would be harder to go back to school. Education has always been important in my family, and I knew first things first. But I also knew when I got to a stopping place in my medical career, I wanted to go off and do what I wanted to do–be with horses.” So Meadow went to Harvard for four years as an astrophysics major. Upon graduation, she allowed herself a break, which ended up being two years on a New Mexico ranch. Then she enrolled in med school, landed her second Harvard degree in 1978, and served a rigorous internship at Georgetown Hospital for one more year, certifying her as a doctor. With an interest in research and the option to remain at Georgetown for two more years to get certified in internal medicine, Meadow instead decided to become an apprentice jockey at Suffolk Downs. “Neither her mother nor I look on horses as anything but a large mass of muscle,” Dr. Henry Coe Meadow explained in that Globe piece that profiled the ups and downs of his daughter's 0-for-42 rookie season as a rider. “When she was younger, we thought it would be a good idea for her to have a pony to care for. We didn't know it would develop to this point….I'm sure this is an interlude. When people ask me when she's coming back, I say, 'Soon, I hope.' Her mother and I are scared to death she'll hurt herself.” Meadow, in that same Globe article, acknowledged that the choice between medicine and horses was difficult, because “the two are so all-consuming that I don't know if it's possible to do both.” But, Meadow added with a glint of optimism that ended up ringing true for the final 44 years of her life, “I think it will work itself out.” The post For Patricia Meadow, A Life with Horses Was Both Destination and Journey appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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Barry Irwin, founder and chief executive of Team Valor, said he hopes Quid Pro Quo would be able to emulate the achievements of the group's Ipi Tombe, who was trained by Mike de Kock to win the 2003 Dubai Duty Free (G1).View the full article