Wandering Eyes

Osteria (NZ) (Ribchester) was only upstaged by his talented older stablemate last time out, and back in his own age group, the gelding will be a contender in Thursday’s Gr.2 Shaw’s Wire Ropes Auckland Guineas (1400m) at Ellerslie. The progressive son of Ribchester broke his maiden comfortably at Pukekohe in November, putting a space on subsequent winners Tycoon Prince and Hard Roca. Stepping out at Ellerslie for the first time, he was beaten less than a length by Group Three-performing mare Irish Legacy, a performance that gave trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood confidence to push on to the Guineas distance. “He’s come on really well and I’m quite looking forward to seeing him over 1400m,” Wellwood said. “He’s been a little bit of a hard-going horse, but in his last two or three runs he’s been really good. We’ve got the confidence to step him up to 1400m now, and back against his age group will be suitable, albeit there are a few really nice horses. “In saying that, I think he deserves his place in the field.” Masa Hashizume will take the ride aboard Osteria in the feature, having barrier 10 of 11 to contend with. “We’ll see how he jumps, but the gate is the niggle,” Wellwood said. “We’ll probably have to ride him quietly from there.” The royally bred Irish Legacy will also step out on Boxing Day, taking her place in the SkyCity Fireworks 1200. Faring far better in the barrier draw, the daughter of I Am Invincible will jump from barrier three in the Rating 75 contest, aiming to go back-to-back after her effortless win at the course on December 7. “She was very impressive, she’s come through it well and she’s a bigger, stronger horse this time in as a four-year-old,” Wellwood said. “She’s drawn well and has ticked every box. “If we could see what we saw last time we would be pretty happy, she’s quite full-on and the big thing with her is getting her racing relaxed. She clearly steps up in grade and it’s a pretty nice field on Thursday, but if she’s racing kindly and hitting the line strong, that gives us confidence to step out to 1400 perhaps next start.” Later on the card, Hasstobeawinner will carry a luxury weight, by his standards, in the Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final (1500m). There are few horses that have shown the consistency of Hasstobeawinner in his career, and while only winning one race, the gelding has finished in the first three on 10 occasions, including a narrow miss in the $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1600m) last term. “He’s such an honest horse and always puts his best foot forward,” Wellwood said. “He’s been going well and I’m really looking forward to seeing him back in the weights, he gets 55kg in this race and he hasn’t had that on his back in a long time. I’m sure he’ll try his guts out again.” Completing the Kingsclere contingent will be Dionysus, a multiple Group Three winner taking on the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2050m). The seven-year-old finished midfield in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) in October before heading to Australia, where he was sixth in the Listed Beauford (2300m) before a disappointing performance in the Listed ATC Cup (2000m). Returning back to Cambridge, Dionysus will now be targeted towards the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) the following week, a race he won two years ago. “He was probably a bit disappointing in Australia and the weight-for-age 2000m isn’t all that suitable, but we want to give him a run so he’s rock-hard ready for the Queen Elizabeth Cup on New Year’s Day,” Wellwood said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he showed a bit of cheek, but really, it’s a run to get him ready for that race.” View the full article

Leading Australian jockey Blake Shinn will return to ride in New Zealand on Boxing Day where he is hoping he can unwrap some late Christmas presents at Ellerslie. The 37-year-old hoop had a memorable day at Pukekohe’s Boxing Day meeting last year where he rode the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained Molly Bloom to victory in the Gr.2 Hallmark Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m). “I remember that vividly, when I came over to ride Molly, that was a great day,” Shinn said. “New Zealand has been good to me in the past, so hopefully we can continue that good run on Boxing Day with some nice rides for some really loyal people.” He will team up with Wexford Stables once again in this year’s running of the fillies’ feature, where he will ride the Waikato Stud-bred and raced Sethito. The daughter of Super Seth has been in fine form, winning her last two outings, including the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie earlier this month, and Shinn is looking forward to partnering with her on Boxing Day. “I am really looking forward to riding her, she has been in good form,” Shinn said. “She won quite stylishly in her last start. Lance and Scotty, they don’t ask me unless they are confident that the horse is going to put in a bold showing. I am really happy to take the ride for them and her big owners in Waikato as well.” Shinn is also excited to team-up with Te Akau Racing, where he will ride talented filly Damask Rose against the boys in the Gr.2 Shaw’s Wire Ropes Auckland Guineas (1400m) and Campionessa in the Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic (2000m). Shinn has a great association with Damask Rose, having ridden her to a runner-up result in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) behind Velocious earlier this year, and he is excited to reunite with the daughter of Savabeel. “We ran second in the two-year-old Karaka Millions at her second start, and she was all quality on that day,” Shinn said. “She appears to have come back exceptionally well, her win last start was great. “She has to overcome barrier 11, which poses a little bit of a task for me and the horse, but hopefully her class will be able to overcome that.” Shinn said he is looking forward to teaming up with Te Akau Racing and building on their burgeoning partnership. “I am forming a great relationship with David Ellis and the whole team at Te Akau,” he said. “They asked me if I would consider coming over and I jumped at the chance when the team asked. They are world-class in every aspect and their horses are great to ride.” Boxing Day at Ellerslie will continue a busy time for Shinn, who is set to return to Melbourne following the meeting before heading to Queensland and Hong Kong, and then likely return to Ellerslie for the Karaka Millions meeting later next month. “I will head back to Melbourne and ride on the 28th at Moonee Valley and the 1st (of January) at Flemington before making my way to the Magic Millions Carnival on the 4th and the 11th where hopefully I will have a strong hand on both days. “And then I will head to Hong Kong on the 19th where I will ride Galaxy Patch in the Stewards’ Cup (Gr.1, 1600m). “It is a busy month but that is the exciting part, travelling around to the good carnivals and competing at the highest level. I am privileged to be in this position.” Shinn said it has been great to see racing in New Zealand flourish under the stewardship of Entain, and the level of prizemoney could entice more Australians to cross the Tasman. “It is great to see and you might see me in New Zealand a bit more in the future, especially with the prizemoney going ahead,” he said. View the full article

Pierre Ng’s progressive four-year-old one of four last-start winners in Thursday’s Class Three Uranus Handicap (1,200m).View the full article

What Happy Valley Races Where Happy Valley Racecourse – Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley, Hong Kong When Thursday, December 26, 2024 First Race 6:10pm HKT (9:10pm AEDT) Visit Dabble Happy Valley is the destination for Boxing Day racing in Hong Kong, with a bumper 10-race program set for decision on Thursday. The rail is in the C+3 throughout the evening, and with no significant rainfall predicted, punters are all but assured of a Good 4 surface. The opening event is scheduled to get underway at 6:10pm local time. Best Bet at Happy Valley: Noisy Boy Noisy Boy finally gets out to a staying journey third-up into his first Hong Kong preparation. The son of Real Steel has hit the line well over an unsuitable trip in his first two starts, with the four-year-old doing his best work late. Zac Purton gets legged aboard for the first time, and provided he can land into a mid-field position with cover, punters can expect Noisy Boy to prove too strong in this Class 3 handicap. Best Bet Race 3 – #5 Noisy Boy (8) 4yo Gelding | T: Dennis Yip | J: Zac Purton (56.5kg) Bet with Neds Next Best at Happy Valley: Gracious Express Gracious Express comes through a strong form race at Sha Tin on December 1 where he closed to within 3.8 lengths of My Wish and Steps Ahead. The Churchill gelding tackles the Happy Valley circuit for the first time, and the step up to 1650m should be ideal as he stalks his rivals from barrier one. Brenton Avdulla may need some luck getting off the rail in the concluding stages, but provided the brakes fall his way, Gracious Express should figure in the finish. Next Best Race 10 – #1 Gracious Express (1) 5yo Gelding | T: Ricky Yiu | J: Brenton Avdulla (61kg) Bet with BlondeBet Best Value at Happy Valley: Embraces Embraces hasn’t had much luck in his five starts to date and should have broken his maiden last start at Happy Valley on October 16. The son of Reliable Man returns on the back of two tick-over trials and should be suited stepping out to the 1650m first-up. Jerry Chau is bouncing off a hat-trick of wins at Sha Tin on Sunday, and provided he can maintain his rich vein of form, Embraces should be right in this at an each-way price with horse racing bookmakers. Best Value Race 7 – #6 Embraces (5) 4yo Gelding | T: Cody Mo | J: Jerry Chau (a1kg) (58.5kg) Bet with Picklebet Thursday quaddie tips for Happy Valley Happy Valley quadrella selections December 26, 2024 1-5-6-7-10 2-4-5-7-10-11 1-2-4-5-7-11 1-11 Horse racing tips View the full article

Vow And Declare ridden by Craig Williams winning the 2019 Melbourne Cup. (Natasha Morello/Racing Photos) Australia’s beloved stayer, Vow And Declare, has officially been retired, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable racing career that captured the hearts of the nation. The now nine-year-old gelding, trained by Danny O’Brien, will forever be remembered for his unforgettable victory in the 2019 Melbourne Cup, a triumph that etched his name into Australian racing folklore. Vow And Declare’s Melbourne Cup win was a storybook moment. Carrying the weight of Australian hopes amidst a strong international contingent, he surged down the Flemington straight to hold off a late challenge, becoming the first Australian-bred winner of the race since Shocking in 2009. His brave performance under jockey Craig Williams not only secured a place in the history books but also resonated deeply with racing fans who yearned for a local hero in the “race that stops a nation.” Bred by Paul Lanskey and sired by Declaration of War, Vow And Declare’s staying prowess became his trademark. While his career was punctuated by injuries and challenges, his resilience and ability to deliver in high-stakes moments attracted him to connections and punters alike. With earnings exceeding $6 million, he proved himself as one of Australia’s premier stayers of his era. “Winning the Melbourne Cup is what we all aspire to, and it is a moment that I will cherish forever,” O’Brien said in a statement on X. “Every year there are less and less in the Cup that have been bred here, which is why Cups like his, and this year’s as well, underline what is so great about the race and our industry.” “I am proud of the horse and the job my team has done with Vow. To have him performing at the highest level as a three-year-old all the way through to winning in track record time this past winter in Queensland is a testament to their dedication and commitment.” Racing fans will get the opportunity to farewell Vow And Declare at Geelong Racecourse, one of his home tracks, during the club’s standalone Saturday meeting on January 4. Horse racing news View the full article

Veight. (Photo by Reg Ryan/Racing Photos) Group 1-winning galloper Veight has been gelded, with connections setting their sights on next year’s prestigious Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville in May. The decision marks a shift in focus for the talented horse, originally considered a potential stallion prospect. The George Ryder Stakes winner received limited interest from breeders, prompting connections to continue his career on the track in pursuit of rich feature races. Trainer Tony McEvoy, who works in partnership with his son Calvin, explained the rationale behind the decision in an interview with Racing.com. “You never like gelding a horse of this quality,” McEvoy said. “But the reality was that the phone wasn’t ringing, and the offers that came through weren’t significant. “He’s capable of earning a million dollars in a preparation, so the call was made to keep him racing.” McEvoy indicated that The Goodwood Handicap in Adelaide will be a key target, with the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in Queensland also on the radar. “The prize money on offer in these races is incredible,” he said. “Veight has proven himself at the top level, and we believe he can continue to do so.” The four-year-old is currently enjoying a spell after contesting the Golden Eagle at Rosehill. Plans are in place for Veight to return to training in the late autumn. “He’s having a well-deserved break right now,” McEvoy said. “We’ll bring him back with a focus on a late autumn campaign and build towards those big races.” Horse racing news View the full article

What Boxing Day at Royal Randwick Where Royal Randwick Racecourse – Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031 When Thursday, December 26, 2024 First Race 1:35pm AEDT Visit Dabble Boxing Day racing heads to Royal Randwick Racecourse on Thursday afternoon, with the Group 3 Summer Cup (2000m) headlining a competitive eight-part program. The rail moves out +6m for the entire circuit, and with sunny skies forecast on Christmas Day, punters can expect a genuine Good 4 surface. The opening event is scheduled to get underway at 1:35pm local time. Summer Cup Tip: Osipenko The Chris Waller-trained Osipenko appears set to peak in the 2024 Summer Cup after an eye-catching performance in the Group 2 Ingham Stakes (1600m) on December 14. The Pierro gelding was putting in the big strides when it was all over, suggesting the step up to 2000m should be ideal. Barrier one should allow Reece Jones to take closer order this time around, and provided Osipenko can show a similar turn of foot, watch for this guy to be finishing best at an each-way price with horse racing bookmakers. Summer Cup Race 7 – #4 Osipenko (1) 5yo Gelding | T: Chris Waller | J: Reece Jones (55.5kg) +700 with Neds Best Bet at Randwick: Tuileries Tuileries couldn’t have been more impressive first-up at Canterbury on December 13, storming clear to break her maiden with a tearaway three-length win. The daughter of So You Think should only improve heading into this second-up assignment, and with Tom Sherry likely to snag the leaders’ back throughout the journey, expect another dominant showing from this untapped three-year-old. Best Bet Race 4 – #8 Tuileries (1) 3yo Filly | T: Peter Snowden | J: Tom Sherry (56kg) +140 with BlondeBet Next Best at Randwick: Endure Endure ran into a smart one in the form of Burj on debut at Newcastle on December 1, closing off well to get within a length of the progressive filly. The pair cleared out on their remaining rivals, suggesting punters can follow the form-lines with trust. Rachel King gets every chance to land in the one-one from stall three, and provided Endure has come on from her first-up performance, she will prove hard to hold out. Next Best Race 1 – #7 Endure (3) 3yo Filly | T: Chris Waller | J: Rachel King (55.5kg) +170 with Picklebet Best Value at Randwick: Holy Hell Holy Hell gets her chance in metro company after a strong debut at Nowra on December 15. The Hellbent filly was only beaten by a nose on that occasion, lacking race-day fitness compared to Shalmum, with the pair storming clear of the rest. She should take major benefit from that run, and at the each-way price with PlayUp, Holy Hell warrants respect in this wide-open maiden. Best Value Race 3 – #16 Holy Hell (7) 3yo Filly | T: Danielle Seib | J: Zac Wadick (a2kg) (55.5kg) +1000 with PlayUp Thursday quaddie tips for Randwick Randwick quadrella selections December 26, 2024 1-4-6-8-13-15 1-6 2-4-6-11 3-4-5-9 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

What Caulfield Heath Races Where Caulfield Racecourse – Gate 2, Station St, Caulfield East VIC 3145 When Thursday, December 26, 2024 First Race 11:15am AEDT Visit Dabble The Caulfield Heath track is back in action on Thursday afternoon, with the Listed Lord Stakes (1600m) and Listed Christmas Stakes (1100m) headlining proceedings on Boxing Day. A top of 38 degrees is forecast, so the track will be a genuine Good 3 at some point throughout the day. The rail comes out 2m for the entire circuit, with the action commencing at 11:15am AEDT. Lord Stakes Top Tip: Regal Vow Regal Vow started favourite in Group 3 company last time out but simply did not handle the Heavy track. Prior to that, the Charlotte Littlefield-trained mare was a smart winner over the Caulfield 1400m. She should gain a cosy run in transit from barrier two under Craig Williams, and if the breaks come her way, Regal Vow should prove too hard to hold over 1600m in the 2024 Lord Stakes. Lord Stakes Race 7 – #6 Regal Vow (2) 5yo Mare | T: Charlotte Littlefield | J: Craig Williams (54kg) Bet with Picklebet Christmas Stakes Tip: Mrs Chrissie Mrs Chrissie was impressive on return at Ballarat in BM100 company. The six-year-old mare relished a breakneck tempo and came with a swift finishing burst down the heart of the track to win in arrogant fashion. Thursday’s sprint feature shapes as a similarly run affair, and if Mrs Chrissie has a back to follow approaching the home turn, she looks the goods in the 2024 Christmas Stakes. Christmas Stakes Race 8 – #9 Mrs Chrissie (8) 6yo Mare | T: Ciaron Maher | J: Craig Williams (55.5 kg) Bet with PlayUp Best Bet at Caulfield Heath: Stupendous Stupendous has put together three impressive wins in weaker company than what she faces on Thursday, but there is no reason she cannot build on her picket fence. The four-year-old mare is a natural on-pace runner, and with Logan Bates on board claiming 3kg from barrier three, Stupendous looks a real ‘jump, lead, win’ type of job in the Caulfield opener. Best Bet Race 1 – #5 Stupendous (3) 4yo Mare | T: Lloyd Kennewell & Lucy Yeomans | J: Logan Bates (a3) (57kg) Bet with Neds Next Best at Caulfield Heath: Elba Elba is set to return from a 19-week spell and is yet to miss the podium in three fresh runs. The four-year-old mare is dynamite on firmer ground too, so the warm conditions should suit her perfectly. The race looks perfectly set-up for Craig Williams to have Elba out towards the rear of the field, and with a swift turn of foot, she should be returning a winner. Next Best Race 3 – #5 Elba (8) 4yo Mare | T: Anthony & Sam Freedman | J: Craig Williams (58.5kg) Bet with BlondeBet Thursday quaddie tips for Caulfield Heath Caulfield Heath quadrella selections Thursday, December 26, 2024 3-4-5-6 1-5-7-10 1-2-3-6 6-7-9 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Sethito will take her place in the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) on Boxing Day at Ellerslie. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Wexford Stables are bullish about landing a couple of knockout blows at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. Trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have strong hands in the three-year-old features on Thursday with fillies Sethito and Prosegur to go head-to-head in the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m). The Matamata operation is equally confident Checkmate and Texas Hold ’Em will do them proud in the Group 2 Auckland Guineas (1600m). With the application of blinkers, Sethito thumped her maiden rivals at Taupo two runs back and the daughter of Super Seth then impressively stepped up to black type company to account for Prosegur in the Group 3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m). “Her last race gave us plenty of confidence that she will race very well again,” Scott said. “It’s a step up to the mile and she ran out the seven furlongs strongly last time, she’s continued to work well and we’re pleased with her condition. “All things being equal, we think she’ll go well again. She’s had three weeks between runs and we’ve just kept her ticking over, she’s a fit filly and we’re pleased with where she’s at.” Like her barnmate, Prosegur has won two of her four starts and followed up an age group victory at Tauranga with a strong effort to finish runner-up in the Bonecrusher. “She continues to improve and we thought her last run was a step up even though she ran second,” Scott said. “We think she has gone the right way since and she’s gained a lot of confidence, which she lacked early on. “She’s had that experience around Ellerslie, we don’t think the mile will be a problem and we’re expecting another very strong performance from her. “There’s not much between them, a lot will come down to luck on the day. They are two fillies that are pretty evenly matched and it might come down to which one gets the best run.” The Okaharau Station-bred and raced Checkmate was second on debut before he impressively broke his maiden at Te Aroha and then won the Listed Armacup 3YO Stakes (1500m) with a good degree of authority. “He went home for a week post his last run and he’s had a nice chance to freshen up,” Scott said. “He’s another who has been exposed to Ellerslie and he’s a lightly framed, athletic horse who doesn’t take a lot of work between runs. “We have been very pleased with his training and he’s another one we expect to run very well, it’s another step up and we’ve got high hopes for him. “He’s got a very good turn of foot and hopefully we’ll see that on Boxing Day.” Texas Hold ‘Em is also a lightly raced three-year-old who impressed in his first look around the course when he won his maiden against older opposition two runs back. “He is going well and will have the hood on for the first time,” Scott said. “He took on a hearty Rating 65 race last time when it didn’t all go his way and he’s back to age group racing. “He’s been around Ellerslie and he’s trained really well and taken it up another notch, which he has to, and not for a moment do we think he won’t put in another strong performance.” Horse racing news View the full article

The Kentucky Derby winner faces a field that includes three from the Bob Baffert barn, Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Stronghold, and Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) second Bentornato.View the full article

Malt Time will contest the Royal Descent Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. Photo: Therese Davis (Race Images) Classy mare Malt Time will have a luxury weight to carry among her female counterparts in Thursday’s Royal Descent Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie. After solid performances in the Group 1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1400m) and Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m) through the spring, the Shaun and Emma Clotworthy-trained galloper lined up among the best of the country’s sprinters in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1200m), where she far from disgraced herself finishing less than two lengths from Babylon Berlin. “She seems to have improved off the Concorde run, that was fresh-up against good sprinters and she’s come through it well,” Shaun Clotworthy said. “She had a bit of work at the beach and went to Ellerslie for a gallop last Thursday, so she’s going to strip a bit fitter and we’re happy with her.” The daughter of Adelaide is a multiple Group One performer currently rated 105, and at the set-weights and penalties conditions, she will carry just 55kg, decreased a further two kilograms by her regular rider and in-form apprentice Ace Lawson-Carroll. “She gets into the race well at set weights and penalties, and she can also utilise Ace’s two-kilo claim, which made the race even more attractive,” Clotworthy said. Horse racing bookmakers markets are reflective of her weight advantage in the Boxing Day feature, with bookmakers opening Malt Time a $3.20 favourite ahead of Taranaki visitor Sumi ($5), and Group Three winner Karman Line ($6). Now an eight-year-old mare, the end of Malt Time’s successful racing career is imminent as she scanned in-foal to Cambridge Stud’s young shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain. However, before the curtain comes down, the Clotworthy’s are eyeing another shot at an elusive Group One crown in the Thorndon Mile (1600m) at Trentham next month. “She’ll either stay at the 1400 and go to the Westbury Classic (Group 2), or we’ll step up and go to the Thorndon Mile,” he said. “At this stage, we’re probably leaning towards the mile.” Horse racing news View the full article

As many look forward to enjoying their Christmas break, harness racing is gearing up for one of its busiest times – there will be nine meetings between Boxing Day and January 6, including Alexandra Park’s premier Auckland Cup meeting on New Year’s Eve. Westport on Boxing Day is a tried and true favourite, highlighted by the Frank Dooley Memorial Westport Cup (3.10pm) with its second day on December 28. Between the two meetings are 12 races on the grass at Gore including the Jaccka Lodge Gore Trotting Cup and the Mataura Licensing Trust Gore Pacing Cup. Motukarara on December 29 is always a crowd pleaser and then there’s Reefton on December 30 before Auckland’s big New Year’s Eve featuring the $250,000 Auckland Cup, the $100,000 National Trot and two $35,000 Northern Metro Finals. Into the New Year Omakau’s popular annual meeting kicks off the Central Otago circuit on January 2 followed by Roxburgh (January 4) and Cromwell (January 6). To help navigate what is a hectic time we have asked some trainers for their holiday selections. To see the selections click here View the full article

Osteria will contest Thursday’s Group 2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) at Ellerslie. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Osteria was only upstaged by his talented older stablemate last time out, and back in his own age group, the gelding will be a contender in Thursday’s Group 2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) at Ellerslie. The progressive son of Ribchester broke his maiden comfortably at Pukekohe in November, putting a space on subsequent winners Tycoon Prince and Hard Roca. Stepping out at Ellerslie for the first time, he was beaten less than a length by Group Three-performing mare Irish Legacy, a performance that gave trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood confidence to push on to the Guineas distance. “He’s come on really well and I’m quite looking forward to seeing him over 1400m,” Wellwood said. “He’s been a little bit of a hard-going horse, but in his last two or three runs he’s been really good. We’ve got the confidence to step him up to 1400m now, and back against his age group will be suitable, albeit there are a few really nice horses. “In saying that, I think he deserves his place in the field.” Masa Hashizume will take the ride aboard Osteria in the feature, having barrier 10 of 11 to contend with. “We’ll see how he jumps, but the gate is the niggle,” Wellwood said. “We’ll probably have to ride him quietly from there.” The royally bred Irish Legacy will also step out on Boxing Day. Faring far better in the barrier draw, the daughter of I Am Invincible will jump from barrier three in the Rating 75 contest, aiming to go back-to-back after her effortless win at the course on December 7. “She was very impressive, she’s come through it well and she’s a bigger, stronger horse this time in as a four-year-old,” Wellwood said. “She’s drawn well and has ticked every box. “If we could see what we saw last time we would be pretty happy, she’s quite full-on and the big thing with her is getting her racing relaxed. She clearly steps up in grade and it’s a pretty nice field on Thursday, but if she’s racing kindly and hitting the line strong, that gives us confidence to step out to 1400 perhaps next start.” Later on the card, Hasstobeawinner will carry a luxury weight, by his standards, in the Stella Artois 1500 Championship Final (1500m). There are few horses that have shown the consistency of Hasstobeawinner in his career, and while only winning one race, the gelding has finished in the first three on 10 occasions, including a narrow miss in the $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1600m) last term. “He’s such an honest horse and always puts his best foot forward,” Wellwood said. “He’s been going well and I’m really looking forward to seeing him back in the weights, he gets 55kg in this race and he hasn’t had that on his back in a long time. I’m sure he’ll try his guts out again.” Completing the Kingsclere contingent will be Dionysus, a multiple Group Three winner taking on the Group 1 Zabeel Classic (2050m). The seven-year-old finished midfield in the Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m) in October before heading to Australia, where he was sixth in the Listed Beauford (2300m) before a disappointing performance in the Listed ATC Cup (2000m). Returning back to Cambridge, Dionysus will now be targeted towards the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) the following week, a race he won two years ago. “He was probably a bit disappointing in Australia and the weight-for-age 2000m isn’t all that suitable, but we want to give him a run so he’s rock-hard ready for the Queen Elizabeth Cup on New Year’s Day,” Wellwood said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he showed a bit of cheek, but really, it’s a run to get him ready for that race.” Horse racing news View the full article

Trainer Eric Reed accepted a seven-day suspension and $1,000 fine for a gabapentin positive found in the 5-year-old mare Lost Bikini, who won in April at Mahoning Valley Race Course. It is Reed's first penalty from a positive test since 2018.View the full article

The Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority announced Dec. 23 that it will build its new training facility at Shamrock Farm. It will be designed to accommodate more than 800 horses. Read more: View the full article

Dr. Patrick F. Sheehy, a retired oncologist and hematologist who owned racehorses and is best known for campaigning the overachieving sprinter Kinsale King, a gelding who flourished into an unlikely Group 1 winner in Dubai in 2010 after starting his career as a California-based maiden-claimer, has died. The trainer Carl O'Callaghan, who transformed the sore-footed Kinsale King into an international stakes winner, on Monday confirmed the passing of his boss and mentor to TDN. He said Sheehy, who was in his early 80s, had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease and dementia. O'Callaghan said Sheehy died Dec. 21 at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, California, where he had practiced medicine for more than five decades. “He was very much a father figure to me and one of my best friends,” O'Callaghan said. “I spoke to him every single day since 2009, sometimes three, four, five times a day, and it was not necessarily phone calls about horses all the time. But he loved the horses, and California racing, and the horses were in his blood. “I flew out to California last Sunday to be with him,” O'Callaghan said. “I spent a day and a half with him in the hospital. He was a very, very good cancer doctor. I mean extremely good, one of the best, and everybody loved him at the clinic. They all knew who he was, but he was never cocky about it. He was just a normal person. He was a good man, and he'll be greatly missed.” The bond between Sheehy and O'Callaghan–as chronicled through the ups and downs of Kinsale King's career–was featured in a 2016 documentary titled “Chasing the Win” that was co-directed by Sheehy's daughter, Laura Sheehy. The film details how the two Irish immigrants from different generations forged a connection over their shared passion for Thoroughbreds, which started when Sheehy gave O'Callaghan–a former assistant and exercise rider for trainer Todd Pletcher who had at one time been so down on his luck that he was homeless–a chance to train his racing stable. Kinsale King had won only a maiden race at Santa Anita for Sheehy before he was turned over to O'Callaghan in 2009. With special attention to the gelding's cracked hooves (and an Irish-themed diet that included four pints of Guinness a day for Kinsale King), the then-4-year-old won an allowance race, the GIII Vernon Underwood S. at Hollywood Park, and then the GII Palos Verdes H. at Santa Anita all in succession in 2009-10, establishing himself as a budding West Coast sprinter. But Kinsale King still seemed to be in over his head, competition-wise, before earning a trip overseas and running away with the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen S. Kinsale King later targeted other high-profile overseas stakes at Royal Ascot in England and back home in America in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, but could not sustain his mojo and winning ways in high-profile stakes. In 2013, Sheehy retired the gelding, who stayed on in O'Callaghan's stable as a pony before eventually giving show jumping a try in his second career, with O'Callaghan in the saddle. “Dr. Sheehy gave me a chance when nobody did,” said O'Callaghan. “He was the very first person who put a horse in my barn, and once I got going for him, we came across Kinsale King when they were just about to retire him. And that horse took us on a journey. He brought my family together from back home [in Ireland] close to all of his family, and the bond got real close over the horse.” When O'Callaghan transferred his racing stable from California to Pennsylvania in 2016, he said Sheehy sent a few horses along with his to compete in the mid-Atlantic region. After the 2020 pandemic, O'Callaghan said, Sheehy consolidated what was left of his California racing stock to Pennsylvania, but was down to owning just a single horse at the time of his death on Saturday. O'Callaghan told TDN that Sheehy's family will have private funeral services, but that a celebration of Sheehy's life will be planned at a later date. The post Patrick Sheehy, Owner of Unlikely International Sprint Hero Kinsale King, Dies in California appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Kentucky Derby winner faces a field that includes three from the Bob Baffert barn, Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner Stronghold, and Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) second Bentornato.View the full article

The University of Kentucky's Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory was assigned interim laboratory accreditation after the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium lifted its suspension of the lab Tuesday. The lab's suspension was triggered in March for what the RMTC termed nonconformities associated with its Laboratory Code of Standards, Section 2.4.9.2. The suspension was lifted after the Horserace Testing Laboratory Committee, which oversees the RMTC's Laboratory Accreditation Program, completed its review of the UK-EACL's response and associated corrective actions and determined the lab had successfully fulfilled the designated requirements for accreditation reinstatement and is in compliance with RMTC's Laboratory Code of Standards. UK-EACL has been assigned Interim RMTC laboratory accreditation with a one-year monitoring period, after which the lab will be eligible for full accreditation. “The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium continues to serve the racing industry through the critical role of its Laboratory Accreditation Program,” said RMTC Executive Director Dr. Michael Hardy. “The importance of such a program is to assess and validate laboratory capabilities which support industry regulation of anti-doping and medication control programs.” The post UK Lab Receives Interim Accreditation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Racing returns to Santa Anita Park Thursday with a stakes-packed card that includes three Grade I races interspersed with three Grade II events. The Arcadia track's traditional Boxing Day feature, the GI Malibu Stakes has attracted a field of eight, with returning GI Kentucky Derby hero Mystik Dan (Goldencents) garnering most of the pre-race headlines. Off since finishing eighth in the GI Belmont Stakes in June, the bay colt is 5-2 on the morning line and breaks from post six. He is cutting back to seven furlongs and makes his first start at less than a mile since breaking his maiden at 5 1/2 furlongs in November 2023. Bentornato (Valiant Minister), the 3-1 second choice on the Malibu morning line, captured the GII Gallant Bob Stakes in September and was most recently second, beaten just a half-length by Straight No Chaser (Speightster), in the Nov. 2 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. Hope Road (Quality Road), the 3-1 morning-line favorite, takes a four-race win streak into the GI La Brea Stakes. The Cicero Farms homebred comes into the seven-furlong race off a pair of graded scores over a mile at Del Mar in the Aug. 31 GIII Torrey Pines Stakes and Nov. 2 GIII Bayakoa Stakes. Hope Road is one of four Bob Baffert trainees in the La Brea. The trainer will also saddle two-time Grade III winner Kinza (Carpe Diem), making her first start since finishing second in the Apr. 6 GII Santa Anita Oaks, and promising allowance winners Cavalieri (Nyquist) and Splendora (Audible). John Gallegos's homebred One Magic Philly (Good Magic), the 4-1 second choice in the La Brea, won the Oct. 5 GIII Chillingworth Stakes in October and put forth a good effort when sixth in the Nov. 2 GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint last time out. Santa Anita's trio of Grade I events is rounded out by the GI American Oaks, where Cherie DeVaux saddles 7-5 morning-line favorite She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}). The Lael Stables colorbearer already has a pair of top-level victories to her credit. She won the 2023 GI Natalma Stakes and romped to a six-length victory in the GI Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Keeneland in her most recent start Oct. 12. Thursday's graded-stakes menu at Santa Anita also includes the first running of the GII Laffit Pincay, Jr. Stakes, previously the track's San Antonio Stakes. Pincay joins fellow Hall of Fame jockeys Bill Shoemaker and Eddie Delahoussaye with a Santa Anita stakes race named in their honor. “It really means a lot,” the 77-year-old Pincay said. “I remember when Shoemaker and Delahoussaye had a stakes named for them and I thought that was very special. Now I get the chance to have one in my name.” The 1 1/16-mile race attracted a field of eight runners led by tepid 3-1 morning-line favorite Katonah (Klimt). Trained by Chief Stipe O'Neill, Katonah exits a fifth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar and he gets a touch of class relief following three consecutive Grade I efforts. Johannes (Nyquist) is the 4-5 morning-line favorite in the GII San Gabriel Stakes and King of Gosford (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) is the 6-5 morning-line favorite in the GII Mathis Mile Stakes. The post Santa Anita Opens with Boxing Day Bonanza appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

2nd-SA, $60K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 2:30 p.m. ET SAN SABA (Justify) topped last year's Fasig-Tipton October Sale on a bid of $725,000 and has drawn the outside in this field of seven. John Velazquez has the call aboard the May 8 foal, whose dam Arienza (Giant's Causeway) finished second in the 2011 GII Fantasy Stakes. The latter is a daughter of 2002 Horse of the Year and treble champion older female Azeri (Jade Hunter), the dam of the talented MGSW/GISP Wine Princess (Ghostzapper) and granddam of GSW Smokin' T (War Front). A $650,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga acquisition, Madaket Road (Quality Road) was pitched in against Grade III competition when making his career debut a fast-paced renewal of the GIII Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar Nov. 17 and he gave an excellent account of himself when runner-up to the promising Bullard (Gun Runner). Juan Hernandez takes over on the half-brother to MSW Bode's Dream (Bodemeister), whose Grade II-winning dam Frolic's Dream (Smoke Glacken) is a half-sister to GSW/GISP Mokat (Uncle Mo). Father Ted (Practical Joke), a $150,000 Keeneland September yearling, matured into a $475,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic juvenile after breezing a furlong in :10 1/5. The Ontario-bred is out of a winning half-sister to Three Echoes (Echo Town), third in this year's GIII Sanford Stakes. TJCIS PPs ICYMI: Watch Hip 1023 c. Justify o/o Palace Princess sell for $725,000 to top the third session of the 2023 Kentucky October Yearlings sale! #FasigKY pic.twitter.com/TomaI8gEC1 — Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) October 25, 2023 8th-FG, $58k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 5:15 p.m. ET PRIME POWER (Medaglia d'Oro) cost Winchell Thorougbreds $500,000 at KEESEP last fall and is out of a daughter of the stakes-placed Peggy Jane (Kafwain), herself the dam of MGISW champion 'TDN Rising Star' and FTMMAY topper Gamine (Into Mischief). M. V. Magnier paid a sales-topping $7 million for Gamine at FTKNOV in 2022, and she's since produced colts by Quality Road and Gun Runner. Gunmetal (Gun Runner) debuts for the WinStar/CHC/Siena partnership in the WinStar colors. A $410,000 KEESEP purchase, the May 29 foal hails from the family of Tiznow, Budroyale, Paynter, et al. TJCIS PPs The post Thursday Insights: Fasig-Tipton October Topper Faces GSP Stablemate appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2025 Australasian Young Drivers Championship will be held in July in Brisbane. This has meant we needed to change the way our Junior Drivers qualify for the Championship. Please see attached here the new qualifying criteria. Any questions can be directed to Matthew Peden – Head of Racing and Wagering – matthew.peden@hrnz.co.nz View the full article

By Brigette Solomon The Cambridge Pacers Christmas Cup promises plenty of action today with South Island-based drivers Sam Ottley and Carter Dalgety both engaged to drive strong chances as they continue their quests for driving milestones. Ottley aims to be the first woman to achieve 100 driving wins in a 12-month season and drives the Arna Donnelly-trained Little Spike, while Dalgety drives Fernetti who is trained by his parents Cran and Chrissie Dalgety, and he is vying for the New Zealand Junior Drivers Championship title. Little Spike starts the 2700 metre race (4.57pm) off a 20 metre handicap at what will be the three-year-old’s first standing start. “He went super last start but being his first standing start it’s always a bit of a question mark, although he’s the only one off 20 metres which isn’t too bad,” says Ottley, “he’s a very nice horse but there’s a few other decent ones in there too.” The Terror To Love gelding was a superb winner at Alexandra Park last start when he made a wide run from well back in the field to flash home down the extreme outside for an emphatic 2.75 length victory. It was the gelding’s fifth win from just 13 starts. “I’m pretty lucky to be driving Arna’s horses tonight and they’re all nice horses which is even better, I think The Surfer (R7) is also another reasonable chance,” says Ottley, “Arna sort of persuaded me it was worth coming up to drive and give chasing the 100 wins in a season a good go since I’m so close to it as I was fairly diplomatic about it initially and wasn’t sure it was achievable.” “There’s going to be plenty of travelling between now and the end of the year, but I absolutely love this time of the year, the racing is great and I’ll give it a good go at getting to 100 wins but at the end of the day, what will be will be.” The Dalgety runner Fernetti starts the race from three on the 10 metre line and was also a last start winner at Alexandra Park when taking out a Northern Metro Pacers Series Heat on December 13. “The stand will be a query although I don’t mind being off 10 metres on him,” says Dalgety, “he’s sensible and clean gaited so hopefully he can get away well as he likes to be up on the speed.” “Little Spike and The Big Lebowski both go pretty good and have been racing well so it won’t be easy, but the run will benefit him heading to the Northern Metro Series Final on New Years Eve.” The early race favourite in the Cambridge Christmas Pacers Cup is the Ray Green-trained The Big Lebowski ($2.80) who will have a tough ask to overcome a 35 metre handicap. As well as Fernetti, Dalgety also drives the Tate Hopkins-trained runners Major Tommy (R6) and Lou Will (R4), and Skee Princess (R1) who is locally trained at Cambridge by Tim Hall. “With Fernetti racing in the north and entered at Cambridge I thought it was worth coming up and trying to get a few more drives which I’ve been lucky enough to get a few,” says Dalgety, “it was a big help with having a big day getting four winners at Invercargill last week as it’s going to be a tight battle for the Junior Premiership and I know Wilson (House) has a pretty good book in the days ahead.” Dalgety is currently at the top of the leader board with 64 wins, with Sam Thornley second on 62 wins, and Wilson House third on 58 wins. The racing action gets underway today with the first race at 1.00pm. View the full article

Jack Bolton and Nico Case, friends since they were teenagers attending the same prep school, are young and they are smart. Bolton is a senior at USC and Case just graduated from MIT. For many such college graduates that might mean entering the work world with an eye on becoming a CEO or a lawyer or perhaps starting a hedge fund or doing something else on Wall Street. Not Bolton and Case. They have decided to get involved in the horse racing business. The two are partners in Triple Crown Trading, a recently launched racing syndicate that will, like Myracehorse.com, offer micro shares in horses at affordable prices. But there's more. Investors in Triple Crown trading will be able to buy and sell their shares on a secondary market. If someone paid $300 for a share in an Into Mischief colt and that colt breaks his maiden by a dozen lengths, the partners can try to cash in and sell his or her share on Triple Crown Trading's secondary market at a profit. If that same horse loses by 10 lengths, then the investor might have seen enough and dump their shares at a loss. In their partners, they have an impressive line-up working with them. The normal course of action will be to buy into horses purchased at the sales by some combination of Lane's End, Woodford Racing and Belladonna Racing. Triple Crown Racing's first offering is now available on its website. The colt's name is Savion (Tapit), who is an unraced soon-to-be 3-year-old. He was purchased for $450,000 at Keeneland September by Belladonna Racing. Triple Crown Trading owns 20% of the horse. For this offering, the required minimum investment is $2,500, with shares selling for $500 each. Still dealing with issues that all such start-ups have to deal with, Triple Crown Trading intends to lower the minimum costs with additional horses it buys into. Bolton said the buy-in price for subsequent offerings should be around $100. Savion will be trained by Cherie DeVaux. If all of this sounds a lot like Myracehorse, that's because it is. They developed the concept of selling microshares and have been very successful. Their recent purchases include GI Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey (Arrogate) and GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Straight No Chaser (Speightster). “Horse racing is generally only accessible to people with massive amounts of wealth,” Bowden said. “The fact of the matter is that the average American or the average horse racing fan can't afford to get involved. We want these people to get affiliated with the industry in the same way that people with far more money than them do. We think creating a marketplace for shares that are reasonably priced that the average individual can get in on without emptying their pockets is the way to go. That's something that should make the sport more fun for everyone involved.” Bolton said that the costs involved with owning a horse with Triple Crown Trading versus owning a Myracehorse horse will be about 20% less. “[Myracehorse] has this lane all to themselves,” said Lane's End's Bill Farish. “There shouldn't be a monopoly when it comes to the smaller investors. Jack' s intention is to improve on their model.” “Myracehorse has seen very impressive growth and is doing very well as a company,” Bolton said. “We saw what they were doing and saw some opportunities to improve on that. What sets us apart will be the secondary market.” Bolton and Case are still trying to iron out some issues with the SEC, and, for that reason, there will not be a secondary market for shares in Savion, who is expected to make his debut in February or March. But they expect those matters to be cleaned up quickly and that it won't be long before the secondary market is up and running. “After this offering, we plan to raise a little bit of money and go out and create a platform that will allow people to buy and sell their shares,” Bolton said. “Our long-term vision is liquidity. Rather than bet on a race, you can invest in a share and then sell it afterwards or hold for a longer period and customize your portfolio. Nico kind of developed the second part of that ideal. We asked ourselves how are we going to make this better and that's when we saw this as the solution.” On the home page of their website reads the slogan, “Don't Bet. Own.” “If you are a person gambling, your incentives aren't really being cared for very well,” Bowden said. “That's where we saw an opening to say to people that if you are gambler, why don't you become an investor? The people who own the horses are incentivized to make you happy and to make the horses win because at the end of the day they have a stake in the same thing you did. When those incentives align, that's where we thought we found a better business model and a way for people to get involved. We wanted to create something that would really stick out from any other opportunities people have to become financially involved in the horse racing industry.” Bolton and Bowden realize this won't work with just one horse or even 10. The secondary market won't work without an adequate amount of liquidity, which means many horses and many owners. Though they're still in one-step-at-a-time mode, the goal is to have a large stable and hundreds of investors. They will be working closely with bloodstock advisor David Ingordo, whose clients include Belladonna. He says that Triple Crown Trading is an ideal way to get new people interested in the sport. “Anything that brings new people into the business is a good thing,” Ingordo said. “Jack Bolton is young and they're attempting to build a foundation of younger horse owners. You never know where the next Mike Repole, Sol Kumin, Jerry Moss, pick your favorite big owner, is going to come from. To me, this looks like ownership development. If someone can get involved for a minimal amount of money they will have an incentive to go from there. That's something our sport should endorse in general because where are we going to get this next generation of owners?” The post With Help from Major Industry Players, Whiz Kids to Launch Unique Partnership 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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BH Interview with Solomon Sharpe of Caymanas ParkView the full article