Wandering Eyes

Historical GST Input Claims – Refund Update Following the announcement made on 25 July 2024, we are pleased to report that we have successfully refunded $1.46m to 3,800 owners for GST deducted from stakes paid between 2013 and 2018. We are now working to locate the remaining 2,000 owners who have not yet claimed their share, of the remaining $300,000. The majority of the unclaimed refunds are for less than $50. Please note that the refund only affects owners who were not GST registered. There is an option to donate your refund to the NZ Horse Ambulance Trust. If you wish to donate your refund please email us with an explicit approval to donate, as we cannot proceed without your consent. Since the refund relates to historical stakes payments, some recipients may have passed away, or partnerships or relationships may have dissolved. In cases where a recipient has passed away, we will require a copy of the will, and an agreement from all the beneficiaries or trustees to arrange payment. The funds must be paid to the ultimate beneficiaries. Joint owners are paid individually, which means that in many cases one partner or spouse may have already been refunded, but not all since we don’t have a separate bank account on file. We encourage all joint owners, trustees or beneficiaries of Estates, or children of elderly parents to get in touch to verify whether a refund is due. We also require all bank account details in writing and a proof of identity may be requested. To date, we have contacted recipients via bulk emails where we have a current email address, and we will soon start calling recipients where the refunds are $500 or more to obtain bank account details to process the balance. We plan to close the refund process by 30 November 2024, so please contact us if you think you may be due a refund. View the full article

By Adam Hamilton The next few days will decide Leap To Fame’s IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup fate. Trainer-driver Grant Dixon said the champion Aussie pacer “seemed to have picked up” in the couple of days since an untimely virus forced him out of the Group 1 Victoria Cup. But owner Kevin Seymour stressed everything would need to go exactly right in the “next few days” to consider pushing ahead with a planned flight to Auckland with Leap To Fame on November 3. “He would need to get a clean bill of health by Wednesday and be able to get to Sydney and back into full work by then for us to even consider pushing on,” Seymour said. “Even then, you worry about trying to win a gruelling 3200m race like the NZ Cup with an interrupted campaign.” Dixon sounded slightly more optimistic. “We could wait another nine days or so before we have to make a final call,” he said. “But the first step is getting the all clear that he’s over this so we can get him back into his routine.” Leap To Fame will stay in Melbourne until Dixon is sure he has fully recovered. “Then Grant will float him to Robbie Morris’ place in Sydney and we can make plans from there,” Seymour said. Should connections press ahead with NZ plans, there are weekly racing options at Menangle, starting with next Saturday night’s Kevin Robinson free-for-all (1609m). That will likely come too soon, so the logical race is the Battle Of Beersheba free-for-all over a more suitable 2300m at Menangle on October 26. “I’ve had Mark Jones telling me he could also go to the Cup Trial at Addington the week before the Cup,” Seymour said. “If we don’t go, he could settle at Robbie’s place for a while because we’ve got some other horses there, and then go back home to prepare for the Inter Dominion.” The Sydney Inter Dominion starts with heats at Newcastle on November 29. It then moves to Bathurst (December 4) before heading to Menangle for the last round of heats on December 7 and the $500,000 final on December 14. View the full article

Spendthrift Farm's first-crop stallion Authentic was represented by his first stakes winner Oct. 12 when the 2-year-old filly Power Connection defeated the boys in the $60,000 Manzano Stakes at The Downs at Albuquerque.View the full article

There are two horse racing meetings set for Australia on Monday, October 14. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the best bets and the quaddie numbers for Bairnsdale. Monday’s Free Horse Racing Tips – October 14, 2024 Bairnsdale Racing Tips As always, there are plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans. Check out all the top online bookmakers to see what daily promotions they have. If you are looking for a new bookmaker for the horse racing taking place on October 14, 2024, check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. Neds Code GETON 1 Take It To The Neds Level Neds Only orange bookie! Check Out Neds Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you prepared to lose today? Full terms. 2 It Pays To Play PlayUp Aussie-owned horse racing specialists! Check Out PlayUp Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Full terms. Dabble Signup Code AUSRACING 3 Say Hey to the social bet! Dabble Have a Dabble with friends! Join Dabble Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? Full terms. Recommended! Bet365 Signup Code GETON 4 Never Ordinary Bet365 World Favourite! Visit Bet365 Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. GETON is not a bonus code. bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. What’s gambling really costing you? Full terms. 5 Next Gen Racing Betting PickleBet Top 4 Betting. Extra Place. Every Race. Join Picklebet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Full terms. 6 Bet With A Boom BoomBet Daily Racing Promotions – Login to view! Join Boombet Review 18+ Gamble responsibly. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place. Full terms. Horse racing tips View the full article

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Santa Anita Park's calendar giveaway for 2025 will celebrate the top moments in the track's 90th year as voted by the fans. It will mark the 50th year that fans will receive the colorful wall calendar on Dec. 26, opening day of the Santa Anita Classic Meet. Beginning Friday, Oct. 25, fans will have the chance to vote for their top 10 moments from a list selected by a panel of media members and Hall of Fame horsemen connected to Santa Anita Park. The top 13 moments will be included in the calendar, one for each month (the calendar begins with December 2024), and the ranking of the top 10 moments will be counted down on Santa Anita's Opening Day. “The Santa Anita Wall Calendar is one of our most popular giveaways and it graces the walls of homes, offices and businesses throughout the year,” said Andrew Arthur, Santa Anita's Sr. Marketing Director. “Our fans have supported us for 90 years and we wanted to give them the opportunity to tell us what moments in our history resonate the most with them. We're looking forward to seeing their results and to counting them down with us on Opening Day.” The Media members and Hall of Fame horsemen have been asked to create the semi-final list for the public voting from a list of 30 spanning each of the track's nine decades. In addition, they will have the opportunity to write in their own choices if they do not appear on the list of 30 provided. For more information, click here. The post Santa Anita Park’s 2025 Calendar to Celebrate Top Moments in the Track’s 90-year History appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Gufo (Declaration of War-Floy, by Petionville), a Grade I winner at three, four, and five, is relocating from Ballycroy Bloodstock in Ontario to Darby Dan Farm for the 2025 breeding season. Gufo will stand the upcoming breeding season for $5,000 S&N. Incentives will be available for qualified mares. Gufo, who stood his first season at stud this year, will welcome first foals in 2025. He is owned by Dr. John Little, who co-bred the multi-millionaire in partnership with longtime friend Dr. Stephen Cainelli. The latter campaigned Gufo under the nom de course of Otter Bend Stables. “We're excited to add Gufo to our roster for the upcoming breeding season,” said Stuart Fitzgibbon, stallion director at Darby Dan Farm. “Gufo was a top-class racehorse with a physical that commands attention. His powerful physique is matched by his incredible talent and durability that he demonstrated over four seasons on the racetrack.” Gufo won or placed in 12 graded stakes, including back-to-back renewals of the $750,000 GI Sword Dancer Stakes in 2021 and '22, and the GI Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes in 2020. Gufo also set a new nine-furlong course record at Delaware Park in 2020, winning his graded stakes debut in the Kent Stakes, covering the distance in 1:46.94. Gufo finished in the top three in 18-of-21 lifetime starts and retired with earnings of $2,176,530. Trained by Christophe Clement, Gufo raced from ages two to five. The chestnut broke his maiden at two in just his second start, winning a maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park. In addition to his Grade I success, Gufo also finished third in the GI Hollywood Derby at three; was second in the GI Man o'War S. and third in both the GI Manhattan Stakes and the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes. He was runner-up again in the Man o' War at five, as well as third in the Manhattan. Gufo, whose name originates from Northern Italy where the sighting of a Gufo bird (owl) traditionally brings good luck, is the leading earner for his multiple Group I-winning sire Declaration of War (War Front). Champion Older Male in England and Champion Older Male twice in Ireland, Declaration of War is the sire of three champions and seven Grade I/Group 1 winners. Gufo, who is from Declaration of War's second crop, is produced from the Petionville mare Floy, making him a half-brother to MGSW and millionaire Hogy. In a career that spanned nine seasons, Hogy banked more than $1.3 million and set a 5 1/2-furlong track record of 1:01.56 on the turf at Fair Grounds. To schedule an inspection or for more information on Gufo, contact Stuart Fitzgibbon at (859) 621-6763, or by email at Stuart@darbydan.com, or visit www.darbydan.com. The post MGISW Gufo Relocating to Darby Dan Farm for 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Spendthrift Farm's first-crop stallion Authentic was represented by his first stakes winner Oct. 12 when the 2-year-old filly Power Connection defeated the boys in the $60,000 Manzano Stakes at The Downs at Albuquerque.View the full article

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. celebrated his 4,000th win in the opening race at Keeneland Oct. 13, just 13 years after beginning his career in Puerto Rico.View the full article

Trainer Cherie DeVaux achieved Saturday what many trainers work a lifetime to attain when taking Keeneland's GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup with Lael Stables' She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}). After having a day to digest the watershed moment, she summed up the experience succinctly. “Awesome … amazing.” According to DeVaux, a couple of changes factored in the filly's second Grade I win and DeVaux's first at the Lexington oval. “We expected her to run a good race,” DeVaux said. “She was training well… she always trains well. She has a couple quirks, but adding the blinkers and [jockey] Johnny V [Velazquez] keeping her covered up made the difference.” DeVaux ruled out a possible Breeders' Cup run in three weeks but indicated the 2024 campaign for She Feels Pretty might not be done. “[The QE II] was the goal for the year, even at the start of the year,” DeVaux said. “The Breeders' Cup would be too close, but maybe a race like the [$300,000] [GI] American Oaks.” The American Oaks, run at a mile and a quarter, is scheduled for Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. Highclere Thoroughbred Racing's Soprano (Ire) (Starspangledbanner (Aus) is scheduled to return to England on Tuesday, according to Charles Eddery, who has overseen the filly's preparations at Keeneland for trainer George Boughey. “She just bumped into a good one [Saturday],” Eddery said of the runner-up. “George was able to watch the race and was delighted with the way she ran for her first time in North America.” Soprano might return to the U.S. for the GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 2. “There will be a discussion later [Sunday] with George and Harry [Herbert of Highclere], and it might be on the card to go [to the Breeders' Cup],” Eddery said. “She normally runs every three weeks and takes to racing well.” Plans remain undetermined for third-place finisher Caitlinhergrtness (Omaha Beach). “We were very proud of her effort,” trainer Kevin Attard said of the filly, who is owned by Siena Farm and WinStar Farm. “I'm going to have a discussion with Elliott [Walden of WinStar] and decide on that.” The post DeVaux Rules Out Breeders’ Cup for QEII Winner She Feels Pretty appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's Observations features a half-brother to G1 St Leger hero Eldar Eldrov (GB). 5.45 Kempton, Novice, £7,000, 2yo, 8f (AWT) NAVAL COMMAND (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is another key member of Godolphin's Charlie Appleby stable as a half-brother to the G1 St Leger hero Eldar Eldarov (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). His rivals include Denford Stud's homebred Anglophile (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), a John and Thady Gosden-trained half-brother to the yard's Michelangelo (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) who was third in that Doncaster Classic in 2012. The post Lope de Vega Half to Eldar Eldarov Debuts at Kempton appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Williams Haggas has issued a positive bulletin on star three-year-old Economics (GB) as he prepares for his showdown with French challenger Calandagan (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) in Saturday's G1 Qipco Champion Stakes at Ascot. Economics heads the ante-post betting for the £1.3 million feature contest at a general 5-4, having gained his fourth victory from as many starts this season when making the breakthrough at the top level in last month's Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown. Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was the last horse to complete the Leopardstown/Ascot double in 2019, beating the Haggas-trained Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) for the second of those wins. Addeybb then went one better the following year to give his Newmarket trainer a first success in the race, with Economics poised to try and double that tally at the weekend. “His form is there and he seems very well,” Haggas said of the son of Night Of Thunder (Ire). “As long as he can stay well and run to his best, I think he is sure to run a good race. He battled well in Ireland and was tactically good. He fought hard when he had to in a top-class race and I was pleased he won a Group 1 as that makes things a lot easier.” Haggas has had his fair share of difficult calls to make with Economics in 2024, including the decision to skip the Derby after the imposing colt had put himself firmly in the picture for Epsom with a six-length success in the G2 Dante Stakes. Instead, he spent three months on the sidelines after that York win, before warming up for Leopardstown with victory in the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville. “It's history and you can't worry about it,” Haggas added of the decision to miss the Derby. “What has happened has happened, and what you have done this morning you can't remove. What you do tomorrow you can change before it happens. “We just have to look at the horses, train them as we see fit, and hope the owners buy into what we are trying to do. If you look at him, he is a very big horse who should do well with a winter on his back.” Golden Eagle on the Radar for Fallon and Lake Forest Champions Day at Ascot might be one of the final acts of the Flat season in Britain, but Haggas still has international targets in mind for some of his other stable stars beyond Saturday, including the three-year-old Lake Forest (GB). Haggas is no stranger to big-race success in Australia, notably winning back-to-back editions of the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes with the aforementioned Addeybb, and the trainer now has the A$10 million Golden Eagle in his sights with last year's Gimcrack winner. Last seen filling the runner-up spot in the G3 Hackwood Stakes at Newbury in July, Lake Forest is set to be ridden by Cieren Fallon when he makes his next appearance at Rosehill on Saturday, November 2, with regular rider Tom Marquand likely to be in action at the Breeders' Cup. “We'll need a lot of luck and a nice draw,” Fallon said of the challenge. “It's a big race worth a lot of money and hopefully he acclimatises well. He's got a lot of speed and it's round a bend, not just a straight. He can be a tad slow away, which isn't ideal in a big field like that as they tend to go two-by-two, so we'll need a bit of luck with a couple of gaps up the home straight.” He added, “Racing is a roller-coaster ride and I've had some highs and some lows this year, but it's a great opportunity and hopefully he can perform on the day and things go our way.” The post Economics “Very Well” ahead of Champion Stakes Clash with Calandagan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Cervinia (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) produced a dominant performance to justify favouritism in Sunday's G1 Shuka Sho at Kyoto Racecourse, the final leg of the fillies' Triple Crown in Japan. She became the fifth winner of the G1 Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) to follow up in this race in the last decade, with the others including the same owner's Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) when she won all three legs of the fillies' Triple Crown last year. Trained by Tetsuya Kimura for Sunday Racing, Cervinia's hopes of emulating Liberty Island fell by the wayside when she finished down the field in the G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas) at Hanshin in April, but she proved her true worth when beating the winner of that race, Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), by half a length to win the Yushun Himba at Tokyo the following month. The Shuka Sho brought Cervinia and Stellenbosch together for a third clash, while the form of two key trials was represented by the likes of Queen's Walk (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}), successful in last month's G2 Rose Stakes at Chukyo, plus the first three from the G2 Shion Stakes at Nakayama, won by Christmas Parade (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) ahead of Mi Anhelo (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) and Bond Girl (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}). Cervinia broke alertly before finding a position in mid-division under Christophe Lemaire as Sekitoba East (Jpn) (Declaration Of War) took the 15-strong field along in the early stages. Sekitoba East's lead had grown to seven or eight lengths with less than 600 metres to run, ahead of Christmas Parade, who raced a couple of lengths in advance of the main pack. However, it was all change in the straight as that pair gradually came back to the field, with Cervinia emerging from between runners to hit front inside the final furlong. From there she kept going well to win by a length and three-quarters from Bond Girl, who ran on strongly on the outside to snatch second from Stellenbosch, having had just one rival behind her on the home turn. It was a first success in the Shuka Sho for Kimura, while Lemaire was winning the race for the third time, having won consecutive renewals with Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) in 2017 and Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in 2018. “As always, it's not easy to win a Group 1 race, but Cervinia ran an incredible race today and everything went smoothly,” said Lemaire afterwards. “The distance was right for her and we were able to sit in a good position. She found her own rhythm and was very calm throughout. The fast pace was also a good factor and she responded beautifully.” Cervinia and the runner-up have history as they made their respective debuts in the same race at Tokyo in June last year when Bond Girl came out on top by three quarters of a length. Cervinia later opened her account at Niigata and won the G3 Artemis Stakes at Tokyo as a two-year-old, before returning this year in the Oka Sho. 【Shuka Sho (G1), 2000m, Kyoto, JRA】 Cervinia won the Shuka Sho !#JRA #horseracing #ShukaSho #Cervinia pic.twitter.com/u2smDvgXnh — HorseRacingInJapan (@HorseRacing_JPN) October 13, 2024 Pedigree Notes Cervinia's dam, Cecchino (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), who filled the runner-up spot in the 2016 Yushun Himba, has now produced three winners from as many runners. The others include the G3 Niigata Kinen victor Nocking Point (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) and the two-year-old Arlecchino (Jpn) (Bricks and Mortar), who registered his first success at Niigata in August. Cecchino has since produced a yearling colt by Epiphaneia (Jpn). She was bred to Efforia (Jpn) for this season. Cecchino is a full-sister to Codino (Jpn), who ran second in the G1 Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes and third in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2,000 Guineas), in addition to being a multiple Group winner. She is also a half-sister to Pastophoria (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S), who produced last year's G2 Hanshin Himba Stakes runner-up Sublime Anthem (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}). The second dam, Happy Path (Jpn) (Sunday SIlence), was a multimillionaire racehorse in her own right, while this is also the immediate family of Japanese champion older mare Shinko Lovely (Caerleon). Sunday, Kyoto, Japan SHUKA SHO-G1, ¥214,620,000, Kyoto, 10-13, 3yo, f, 2000mT, 1:57.10, fm. 1–CERVINIA (JPN), 121, f, 3, by Harbinger (GB) 1st Dam: Cecchino (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn) 2nd Dam: Happy Path (Jpn), by Sunday Silence 3rd Dam: Happy Trails (Ire), by Posse O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; T-Tetsuya Kimura; J-Christophe Lemaire; ¥113,234,000. Lifetime Record: 6-4-1-0, ¥328,424,000. *Half to Nocking Point (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}), GSW-Jpn, ¥120,507,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Bond Girl (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Daiwa Major (Jpn)–Coasted, by Tizway. (¥210,000,000 Ylg '22 JRHJUL). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Susumu Fujita; B-Shadai Farm; ¥44,024,000. 3–Stellenbosch (Jpn), 121, f, 3, Epiphaneia (Jpn)–Bloukrans (Jpn), by Rulership (Jpn). O-Katsumi Yoshida; B-Northern Farm; ¥28,462,000. Margins: 1 3/4, HF, 3/4; Odds: 1.30, 13.60, 2.90. Also ran: Lavenda (Jpn), Christmas Parade (Jpn), Mi Anhelo (Jpn), Tagano Elpida (Jpn), Chilcano (Jpn), Koganeno Sora (Jpn), Hohelied (Jpn), Rabbiteye (Jpn), Admire Belle (Jpn), Sekitoba East (Jpn), Lance of Queen (Jpn), Queen's Walk (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video. The post No Stopping Cervinia in Shuka Sho, Final Leg of Japanese Fillies’ Triple Crown appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

1st-Belmont The Big A, $90,000, Msw, 10-13, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:23.02, ft, 4 lengths. FULLY SUBSCRIBED (f, 2, Tiz the Law–Sweetbaby, by Candy Ride {Arg}) was bet down from her 6-1 morning line to 5-2 in her first start since bringing $300,000 at OBS April earlier this year. Outrun by most of the field in the opening furlong from her rail draw, she stayed along the fence under Dylan Davis and enjoyed a ground-saving trip around the far turn past the half in :46.16. Tipped outside of a pair of dueling leaders at the quarter pole, she swarmed up three wide and kicked right on by, putting four lengths on Sharp Smile (Practical Joke). The 17th winner for her freshman sire (by Constitution), Fully Subscribed is the second foal out of a winning daughter of GISW Rutherienne. Sweetbaby has a yearling Union Rags filly and reported a filly by Highly Motivated this year before returning to Tiz the Law for 2025. Sales History: $65,000 RNA Wlg '22 KEENOV; $35,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $300,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $49,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Payson Stud Inc (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. The post Fully Subscribed A First-Out Winner For Tiz The Law appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

At 30 years of age, Hamish McCalmont has already experienced two different worlds. Having spent seven years working in finance in London, and enjoyed the delights that comes with city living, McCalmont made the decision to return home to his family's Norelands Stud in County Kilkenny and immerse himself in the world of bloodstock. In fairness, he picked a good time to change career path and come home. Norelands was one of three consignments selected by the Niarchos family to offer some select mares at the Goffs November Breeding Stock Sale, including the €6 million Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), and returned to that sales house earlier this month to sell a €900,000 Sea The Stars colt. The momentum continued at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale last week with three yearlings selling for almost 1.6 million gns. Even a self-proclaimed rookie like McCalmont was left gobsmacked by that record-breaking trade and the youngster is hoping for more of the same at Book 2 this week. He said, “We knew we had three very nice fillies but obviously you never know what's going to happen until you get there. Especially with a sale like Book 1, where everyone is always a little bit guarded at the beginning, you don't take anything for granted. The great thing about last week was there seemed to be a floor to the market. The footfall was great and we never went through as many cards than we did last week. A lot of that was down to the American influence at the sale, which helped push up the market, and then obviously we had the massive players Kia [Joorabchian]–who isn't new to the market but never spent as much at a sale before-and Godolphin. Everyone was pleasantly surprised, really.” Norelands has targeted Book 2 with a nine-strong draft. There are two colts by Sea The Stars (Ire), a filly and a colt by No Nay Never along with fillies by New Bay (GB) and Night Of Thunder (Ire) to get excited about. But McCalmont knows better to be getting ahead of himself at this early juncture. “I'm relatively new to working full-time in the business but, from what I learned from my Dad, Matt [Gilsenan, farm manager] and lots of other people in the industry, you have to remain cautious. But you have to be optimistic about the fact a lot of people were blown out of the water in Book 1. Hopefully those people who weren't able to fill orders in Book 1 will continue shopping at Book 2.” He added on the draft, “We're very strong on the sire side of things for Book 2 this year. We're a bit like everyone else in that we wanted to send a lot of our own homebreds to Book 2 because it's a sale that everyone goes to. You're really getting your horse in front of all of the eyes. These matings were planned a long time ago but thankfully all the sires of the horses we have are going extremely well. We don't have a huge number of horses but we're more concentrated on keeping the quality really high and the quantity low. Let's see how they get on.” The majority of the people working in this industry have had to work from the bottom up. However, McCalmont's trajectory in the industry is a little different. His family may be steeped in racing history, but he has relatively little hands-on experience working with horses. It's only now that he's keen to make up for lost time. He said, “I've always had an interest in bloodstock but studied finance at university and spent seven or eight years in London working with Hambros. It was about a year ago when I made the difficult decision to leave that job. I was trying to juggle going to the sales whilst working in London but I just found I was missing a lot. I was trying to balance my passion with my job but I couldn't do both. It got to the stage where I wanted to follow my passion. This is very much a game about people as much as it is about horses and you need to be at the sales and you need to be getting involved. I found that I wasn't there when I needed to be and wasn't there when I wanted to be so that's how I made that decision. It wasn't easy but, as I had a bit of money saved up, I went and bought a few fillies and a few broodmares and really immersed myself in it. I'm going to see how that goes and I've already spent the whole foaling season at home and have been heavily involved with the yearling prep as well.” He added, “I didn't do pony club or anything like this when I was growing up so I really want to get my fingers under it and understand how the whole breeding side of the game works. I just want to understand the horse, really. I could follow the industry from London and read all the stallion stats-and I'm big into that-as I wanted but I couldn't get my eyes on enough horses. That's what I have been trying to do for the past year and I've loved every minute of it.” To that extent, McCalmont has looked on at Norelands through a unique prism. A fresh set of eyes if you will. While he brings a certain youth and enthusiasm to the operation, there's no angling to fix something that clearly isn't broken. He explained, “I'm very lucky that I had the support of my parents to go and follow what I thought I wanted to do. But the thing I couldn't wrap my head around for years, the business I was in, people would applaud you if you produced a five per cent return on your investment every year. In this game, if you make five per cent on your pinhook, you're miserable! “I love the farm, love being home and working alongside my parents so, given it was always the direction that I was going to go, I thought rather than spending all my time working for somebody else, it was probably wise to come back and channel my energies into the family business.” He added, “But I'm definitely not trying to bring in new tech or new marketing strategies. The farm is a very established name and all of our clients in the past and hopefully in the future come to us purely through word of mouth. Norelands is a boutique operation and we want to keep it that way. If you were to try and change how that works, you could ruin the brand, so we're very mindful of that.” What McCalmont does bring to the operation is a mathematical brain and strong understanding of statistics. That can come in handy when predicting what the market might want and, while he may lack hands-on experience, he's not afraid to back his own judgment. A case in point being his purchase of Kingman (GB) filly Rathmore (Ire) at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale last year for 50,000gns. That looks pretty decent value now since the half-sister Idea Generation (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) landed the G2 Flower Bowl Stakes at Saratoga for Chad Brown. “When I was going into the office in London, I used to be on the bus reading TDN sires' lists, the Bill Oppenheim report, the return of mares and things like that,” McCalmont recalled. “My passion is for long-term and middle-distance breeding and I love all of those German, Irish and English Classic-type pedigrees. Even if the market goes a certain way, I like being a contrarian to a certain degree and I'd always be following statistics in the hope of figuring out what the market will be looking for in two years' time. I think every breeder is like that and my Dad has been very receptive to that as well. He was always doing it that way, as was my Mum, so now we just put our heads together on the matings. Obviously the most important thing is to get a nice horse to the sales but, if you don't have the right sires on the door, it's a real problem. We've seen that with the selectivity of the market in recent times so hopefully we're vindicated by our matings during Book 2.” He added, “All the fears I had when I made the decision haven't come to fruition. Not yet anyway. But this doesn't feel like work to me. Working on stallion statistics on a Sunday morning, or delving into the form late at night, that doesn't feel like work. It's something I really enjoy doing and, because it's the family farm, I feel we are all working towards something together. I do more hours now than when I was working in London but it's very different work and it's really enjoyable. This is not a nine to five job and you don't survive in this business unless you are passionate. I've followed that passion and I'm very happy that I did.” The post ‘I Work More Hours Now Than I Did In The City But It Doesn’t Feel Like Work’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Power Connection (Authentic) strolled home in the Manzano Stakes at Albuquerque on Saturday evening and in the process hand-delivered the first stakes winner to his freshman sire (by Into Mischief). The dark bay was sent by his New Mexico-based trainer Todd Fincher to Southern California where she was the runner-up in her debut at Los Alamitos June 30. At Del Mar, the filly was a well-beaten third Aug. 10 and finished a distant fourth Aug. 25. Shipping back to the capitol of her home state and off as the 3-2 second choice here, Power Connection chased a longshot speed horse up the backstretch. Given her cue around the far turn, the juvenile was challenged by her stablemate and favorite West of Me (West Coast). Digging deep in the final furlong, Power Connection put away her rival and collected the black-type. The winner has a full-brother who was foaled Apr. 11. A half-sister to MGSP Jet West (Western Fame), Lady Leftennant was bred to Tacitus for 2025. Authentic's first crop includes 160 foals of racing age. MANZANO S., $60,000, Albuquerque, 10-12, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.31, ft. 1–POWER CONNECTION, 120, f, 2, Authentic–Lady Leftennant, by Officer. ($200,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $150,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Gary Randall Andrews, James Cone, James, Brad E. King and Robert L. Lewis; B-Scott Pierce (KY); T-Todd W. Fincher; J-Irwin J. Rosendo. $35,400. Lifetime Record: 4-1-1-1, $57,100. *1/2 to Lady Ivanka (Tiz Wonderful), GISW, $259,800. 2–West of Me, 119, c, 2, West Coast–Best of Me, by Super Saver. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-HX3 Incorporated; B-Todd & Shawn Hansen (KY); T-Todd W. Fincher. $12,000. 3–Karaoke Hero, 118, g, 2, Stay Thirsty–No Tunes, by Songandaprayer. ($2,500 2yo '24 CTBAJA). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Tyson Esquibel; B-Terry C. Lovinger (CA); T-Timothy Mark Gleason. $6,000. Margins: 2, 1, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.50, 1.30, 24.20. Also Ran: Roadswitcher, Williams Empire, My Vino, Toni the Grrreat, Street Colors. Click for the Equibase.com chart. The post Power Connection Delivers First Stakes Win To Freshman Sire Authentic On Saturday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Five contenders went postward for Sunday's G3 Wettstar.de Preis des Winterfavoriten at Cologne and, despite the dearth in quantity for Germany's premier juvenile contest of the year, the quality was not for questioning as the quintet raced line abreast entering the final quarter-mile before Stall Hanse's hitherto undefeated Lifetimes (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}–La Petite Virginia {Ger}, by Konigstiger {Ger}) asserted superiority in the closing stages of a thrilling renewal. The Peter Schiergen trainee had recorded a facile 10-length triumph over the same one-mile trip at Dortmund last month and, lining up as the 19-10 second choice, was steadied to race last of the five runners after an alert break. Urged forward in the straight, he joined all four opponents passing the quarter-mile marker and stayed on powerfully under whipless rousting in the closing stages to prevail by 3/4-of-a-length from 17-10 favourite Think Giant (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). The duo pulled 2 1/2 lengths clear of the remainder, headed by Serienadler (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), inside the final furlong. The win provided Schiergen with a sixth victory and followed in the hoofprints of Geography (Ger) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), who registered a narrow success last year. Ownership vehicle Stall Hanse consists of Moritz Becher, Philip von Ullmann, Vinzenz Klemm and Dr Andreas Jacobs. Becher stated, “We do hope that he is one for the [G1 Deutsches] Derby next year, unlike [subsequent G3 Fritz Henkel-Preis winner] Geography.” Schiergen continued, “He has come along very well from his runaway maiden victory [at Dortmund] to here, where he had to fight for the first time. Fight he did and he did it well. I think he will be able to handle a longer trip.” Winning rider Bauyrzhan Murzabayev added, “He is definitely a very good horse. He always works well and was the deserved winner here.” Winter Favorite Prize Cologne – Groupe 3 – 2 ans – 1600m – 5 Pts – 155 000 € Lifetimes Bauyrzhan Murzabayev @BauyrzhanBauy1 Think Giant Serienadler (Gleneagles (Ire) @coolmorestud – La Petite Virginia (Ger) par Konigstiger… pic.twitter.com/vtCgLyTT3D — French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) October 13, 2024 Pedigree Notes Lifetimes, the fifth of six foals, is one of two scorers produced by an unraced half-sister to G1 Deutsches Derby-winning sire Lavirco (Ger) (Konigsstuhl {Ger}), dual Group-winning G1 Deutsches Derby placegetter Laveron (Ger) (Konigsstuhl {Ger}) and G3 Furstenberg-Rennen victor Lyonel's Glory (GB) (Green Desert). He becomes the 25th pattern-race winner for his sire. Descendants of the April-foaled chestnut's second dam La Virginia (Ger) (Surumu {Ger}) also include Group 3-winning G1 Premio Lydia Tesio runner-up Lacy (Ger) (Authorized {Ire}) and dual Group 3-winning sire Langtang (Ger) (Campanologist). La Virginia is a full-sister to G3 Neusser Herbst Stutenpreis victrix and G3 German 1000 Guineas runner-up La Colorada (Ger), herself the dam of multiple Group 1-winning sire Lomitas (GB) (Niniski), with this being the dam line of Gestut Fahrhof's blue hen Love In (GB) (Crepello {GB}). The latter's descendants include G1 Deutsches Derby-winning sire Lagunas (GB) (Ile De Bourbon) and leading sire Lord Of England (Ger) (Dashing Blade {GB}). Lifetimes is a half-brother to G1 Pretty Polly Stakes heroine and G1 Yorkshire Oaks third La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}) and a yearling filly by Camelot (GB). Sunday, Cologne, Germany WETTSTAR.DE – PREIS DES WINTERFAVORITEN-G3, €155,000, Cologne, 10-13, 2yo, 8fT, 1:39.76, sf. 1–LIFETIMES (IRE), 128, c, 2, Gleneagles (Ire) 1st Dam: La Petite Virginia (Ger), by Konigstiger (Ger) 2nd Dam: La Virginia (Ger), by Surumu (Ger) 3rd Dam: La Dorada (Ire), by Kronzeuge (Fr) 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (€85,000 RNA Ylg '23 BBAGS). O-Stall Hanse; B-Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof (IRE); T-Peter Schiergen; J-Bauyrzhan Murzabayev. €85,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €91,000. *1/2 to La Petite Coco (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}), G1SW-Ire & G1SP-Eng, $470,569. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Think Giant (GB), 128, c, 2, Lope De Vega (Ire)–Think Of Me (Ger), by So You Think (NZ). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€160,000 Ylg '23 ARQOCT). O-Eckhard Sauren; B-Clear Light SAS (GB); T-Christophe Ferland. €31,000. 3–Serienadler (GB), 128, c, 2, Gleneagles (Ire)–Serienheilige (Ger), by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Michael Wachowitz; B-Gestut Wittekindshof (GB); T-Marcel Weiss. €20,500. Margins: 3/4, 2HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.90, 1.70, 2.80. Also Ran: Kolsch (Ger), Name Lord (Ger). The post Gleneagles’s Lifetimes Prevails in Thrilling Renewal of Germany’s Winterfavoriten appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Veteran handler’s big guns produce impressive first-up runs behind Galaxy Patch in Sha Tin Trophy.View the full article

Ballydoyle's Bounty (Ire) (No Nay Never–Rosdhu Queen {Ire}, by Invincible Spirit {Ire}) had little to beat in the six-furlong maiden at Naas on Sunday and made no mistake to open his account in style. Runner-up on debut in a Curragh maiden last month, the son of the 2012 G1 Cheveley Park Stakes heroine was contained on the front end throughout the early stages by Wayne Lordan and went through the race untroubled en route to a bloodless 4 1/2-length success from Iceford (Ire) (Beckford {GB}) as the 2-9 favourite. The dam was a 2.1million gns purchase at the 2013 Tattersalls December Sale. bar none ….@Ballydoyle and @coolmorestud's young son of No Nay Never backs up a pleasing debut @curraghrace by nicely winning @NaasRacecourse under @waynemlordan pic.twitter.com/HFkQdz0BuX — Racing TV (@RacingTV) October 13, 2024 The post No Nay Never Son Of Rosdhu Queen Opens His Account For Ballydoyle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Circuit Jolly falls short in Sunday’s opener after joining string of gallopers to jump over a mark on the Sha Tin track.View the full article

Cambridge Stud’s outstanding weekend continued at Rotorua on Sunday, with their exciting mare Luberon (NZ) (Embellish) adding a valuable black-type success to her name in the Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1215m). The previous day at Te Rapa, Snazzytavi carried the prominent yellow and black-chequered silks to victory in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) for Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall, and it was the turn of the Stud’s private trainer Lance Noble in the feature sprint, where Luberon was rated a $6.20 hope on the TAB tote. A competitive field assembled in this year’s race, with a number of proven elite-level sprinters in the mix, while Luberon had put her hand up as a key chance with a strong resuming victory at Ellerslie last month, starting fourth-favourite with Bonny Lass on top at $3.20. With Warren Kennedy in the saddle, Luberon was positively away from the gates before front-runner Farravallo took over the lead, with the mare settling midfield and off the fence. Turning for home, Luberon trailed Navigator and ranged up on his outside to hit the lead at the 200m, before showing a sizzling turn of foot to kick clear by more than two lengths. Rising talent Navigator and Gr.1 Railway (1200m) winner Waitak put in strong performances to fill the trifecta. Noble was thrilled with the performance, which was Luberon’s first stakes victory after placing in the Listed Challenge Stakes (1100m), Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) and finishing fourth in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). “She’s probably just fulfilling the promise she’s shown as a three-year-old, a few things went wrong so this is very pleasing,” Noble said. “She is a great advertisement for Embellish, and it tops off a great weekend for Cambridge Stud.” After the race, Kennedy indicated the shorter distances were now well suited to Luberon. “Since we’ve brought her back to the sprints, I think she’s found her niche,” Kennedy said. “Lance put those cheek pieces on her and it’s done the trick, they went at a good pace up front and she was a little bit fierce for me, but when she saw daylight, she’s picked them up really quickly and easily. “It was just a hands and heels ride.” Luberon has now earned $196,875 in stakes with five wins from just ten starts. A daughter of Cambridge Stud stallion Embellish, Luberon was bred by her owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay who operate the farm. View the full article

Veteran handler could be forced to thrust exciting galloper into Group Two company after latest win.View the full article

Jockey labels Pierre Ng’s excitement machine ‘the next future star’ after sensational return in Sunday’s feature.View the full article

Swayzee’s dominant win the Victoria Cup, Coastal Babe’s winning debut in Aussie, and Keayang Zahara’s ninth victory on the bounce all feature in today’s Aussie News. By Adam Hamilton Mighty stayer Swayzee rekindled memories of last year’s powerhouse New Zealand Cup win when he added last night’s $300,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup to his growing CV. Just as he did at Addington 11 months ago, Swayzee simply ran his rivals ragged last night. And that’s despite doing a power of early work from a back row draw to circle the field then fight to get the lead from main danger, Mach Dan. Despite a scorching 43.2sec lead time and then 27.9sec opening quarter, driver Cam Hart just let Swayzee keep rolling in front. “He’s a beast doing that, he loves just rolling them along when he’s out in front,” Hart said. “I knew he’d done plenty, but he’s done it before and kept going. Even on the home bend, he still felt strong.” Swayzee held on to beat the improving Curly James by four metres to give trainer Jason Grimson the quinella. Mach Dan fought on bravely for third. The 1min51.8sec mile rate was just 0.4sec outside Lochinvar Art’s track record. Grimson said he had no qualms about opting to bypass the NZ Cup defence next month with Swayzee. “No, it’s a big trip and the travel and race itself took plenty out of him last year. I couldn’t ask him to do it again,” he said. “He’s got this (Carnival of) Cups series in NSW. He heads back home for the second leg of that now, which is around the same time as the NZ Cup.” Swayzee won the first of the five races in the Carnival of Cups series at Parkes two weeks ago and stands to pocket connections a $1 million bonus if he can win all five. Grimson is still looking to tackle the NZ Cup next month with Major Moth appearing his best chance. The recent Kilmore Cup winner finish a solid fifth in the Victoria Cup after losing momentum at a crucial stage and closing well late. In contrast, another of his NZ Cup contenders District Attorney worked hard early, but tired badly to finish last. Auckland Cup winner Better Eclipse looked to go just fairly back in seventh spot, beaten almost 20m. The other disappointment was eight-time Group 1 winner Catch A Wave, who ran eighth and is likely to have a break and be set for races early in the new year. X X X A daring Victoria Oaks raid returned the perfect result with classy Kiwi filly Coastal Babe. As daunting as it can be to tackle the might of the Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin stable in Victoria’s juvenile features, Steven Reid and Coastal Babe’s connections chose to just that and rewarded with wins in the heat and last night’s $150,000 Group 1 feature. But the connection still runs deep with Stewart and Tonkin, given Coastal Babe is raced by some of their best and most loyal clients in Summit Bloodstock and Reid opted to base the filly in Victoria’s most dominant barn during her three weeks or so in Victoria. Coastal Babe, who won five of 12 NZ runs before crossing the ditch, looked a logical Aussie raider given her abundance of a gate speed. And that’s just how it turned out, leading throughout to win her Oaks and the final. Many thought slick former Kiwi and now Queensland-based filly Aardie B Miki could cross Coastal Babe at the start, but she never looked likely and then Victorian stand-in driver James Herbertson dictated terms in front. Coastal Babe ripped home in 54.6 and 26.5sec to beat former Kiwi filly Kiss, who is also raced by Summit and trained by Stewart, by two metres. The first five across the line were trained from Stewart’s property near Ballarat. Showsomejoy ran third, Vague Beauty fourth and Eureka Jo was fifth. It was Herbertson’s sixth Group 1 win and one of his most important yet. X X X Champion Aussie trotter Just Believe showed he was primed for another New Zealand raid with a narrow but fantastic Group 1 win at Melton last night. The rising nine-year-old posted the ninth Group 1 win of his stellar career when he sat parked and nabbed a gallant leader, OIlivici, to win the $75,000 Bill Collins Trotters’ Sprint (1720m). Just Believe posted a brilliant 1min54.1sec mile rate for 1720m, just one second outside Tornado Valley’s track record. “That was a big win tonight, especially with five weeks between runs,” driver Greg Sugars said. “I was a little bit concerned when Ollivici gave a good kick at the top of the straight, but I knew he (Just Believe) would rally. He always does, but we had to really earn it.” Just Believe won by 1.4m to make it 36 career wins from 80 starts and edged close to $1.7 mil in career earnings. He looked every bit a dominant favourite for the $400,000 Group 1 Dominion Trot at Addington on November 12. In contrast, star French import Callmethebreeze finished last after a tough run and then galloping in the closing stages. “He just wasn’t trotting well tonight for some reason,” driver Kate Gath said. “It actually wasn’t that he was getting tired, more that he was trotting well at all. We’ll need to get him home and work out what caused that.” Earlier, a brilliant Greg Sugars drive helped former Kiwi mare Rakero Rebel land the biggest win of her career. Sugars saw daylight at just the right time from three pegs and flashed home to gun down leader and favourite Aardies Express in the $150,000 Group 1 Queen of the Pacific (2760m). It was deserved given Rakero Rebel’s fantastic record since coming to Australia and the fact she ran second to retired champion Ladies In Red in last year’s Queen of the Pacific. Trainer Jess Tubbs said the win was up with her most satisfying. “She’s a real favourite of ours, she deserves this one,” she said. Rakero Rebel’s win was her 12th from 43 starts with another 18 placings and she’s now banked $326,485. X X X The “freak show” heads to New Zealand next. Freak is a fair way to describe three-year-old trotting filly Keayang Zahara, who stretched her unbeaten record to nine races when she toyed with het rivals in last night’s $75,000 Group 1 Victoria Trotters’ Oaks (2240m) at Melton. It was the fourth Group 1 win for the daughter of Volstead. Driver Jason Lee worked Keayang Zahara to the front from gate four, cruised through a 63.2sec first half and then blasted home in 55.2 and 26.6sec. “She’s just something else,” Lee said. Keayang Zahara is booked on a November 3 flight to Auckland and will then head down to Christchurch as the headline act of the inaugural $500,000 The Ascent at Addington on November 12. X X X Former Kiwi pacer Mister Smartee grabbed a stranglehold on favouritism for WA’s most prestigious race with a dominant Gloucester Park win last Friday night. The four-year-old is in to $2.50 prepost favourite to give champion trainer Gary Hall Sr a staggering 13th win in the $450,000 Group 1 WA Pacing Cup on November 8. Mister Smartee, a four-year-old son of Always B Miki, made it 12 wins from just 14 starts when driver Gary Hall Jr took him the front from gate two and dominated last Friday night’s $100,000 Group 2 James Brennan free-for-all (2536m). With WA’s other young star Never Ending stranded in Victoria and Catch A Wave struggling to get a flight to Perth, Mister Smartee beat most of his key WA Cup rivals last Friday night. On the same card, Team Bond’s Kiwi-bred three-year-old Golden Lode raced into Group 1 WA Derby contention when he beat another young star, Alta Tribute, in a thrilling clash. X X X Champion trainer Emma Stewart totally dominated the Group 1 Victoria Derby when Best Deal led home the first four runners in the class for her. It took a blistering turn of speed along the sprint lane by Best Deal in a 25.9sec closing quarter to snatch a nose win over gallant stablemate Some American with Miki To Success third and Bay Of Biscay fourth. It was Stewart’s fourth Victoria Derby win with partner Clayton Tonkin. The others were Petracca (last year), Act Now (2021) and Our Little General (2017). Stewart had seven of the 12 Derby runners last night and also nabbed sixth (Kingman) and seventh (Stormryder). But it was a first Victoria Derby win for Stewart’s stable driver, Mark Pitt. “I was fortunate enough to drive the best horse in the race and get the best run, but he still has to really sprint quickly in a race where the pace was controlled,” Pitt said. View the full article

Trainer Danny O’Brien says it’s now or never in terms of winning a Caulfield Cup next Saturday for his seven-year-old gelding Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock). “He’s going as well as he’s ever gone. That was a good run in the Turnbull, and he’s come out of it in good shape,” O’Brien said. “He will never get a better opportunity to win a Caulfield Cup. This is his opportunity.” Young Werther finished a last-start fifth in the Turnbull Stakes behind Via Sistina. It will be Young Werther’s second attempt at a Caulfield Cup after he finished eighth behind Incentivise in 2021. “He wasn’t quite mature enough then, he’s ready for it this time.” Although Young Werther hasn’t won over 2400 metres, O’Brien said he had put in several exemplary performances at the distance. These include a second in the ATC Derby and a third in Victoria Derby as a three-year-old. O’Brien pointed out that at his last run over the trip he finished second behind his stablemate Vow And Declare in the Grand Prix at Eagle Farm in track record time. O’Brien said Vow And Declare would not run in the Caulfield Cup after his last in the Might And Power Stakes. “He’s pulled up well,” he said. “That was his first poor run for a long time. He’s been very consistent for 18 months; we’ll monitor him during the next week or so and check whether he runs again in spring.” O’Brien has built up a solid record in the Caulfield Cup having quinellaed the event in 2007 when Master O’Reilly defeated Duoro Valley. He has subsequently trained Vow And Declare to finish second in 2019 and Vigor, who finished third in 2010. View the full article