Wandering Eyes

Champion jockey will sit out Wednesday’s eight-race all-weather card at Sha Tin.View the full article

Lady In Pink. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos) Tuesday’s trackwork will be pivotal in determining whether Lady In Pink gets her chance to audition for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) in this Saturday’s $300,000 Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m). Trainers Leon and Troy Corstens, along with Will Larkin, are eager to give the mare one more start this campaign. However, they will assess her condition during Tuesday’s session before committing. The five-year-old mare was a brave runner-up in the Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m) last start, capping a five-run campaign that began with the Group 2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on October 5. Despite her consistent performances, Troy Corstens is cautious about pushing her further this late in the preparation. “My only little concern is we’ve been up a long time, and last week was probably our grand final,” Corstens said. “I don’t want to judge her over the further distance if it’s an end-of-prep run, but if she’s showing signs of that, I’ll see it Tuesday, and we won’t run. “I just need to see that she still wants to be there.” After a first-up seventh, Lady In Pink claimed the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) before struggling in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m). She rebounded with strong placings in the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m) and the Ballarat Cup, showcasing her versatility and durability. The Pakenham Cup would mark her first attempt beyond 2000 metres, though Corstens is confident the step up in trip will suit. “I’ve thought the whole way along that she is a 2400-2500-metre horse,” he said. “She’ll have a light autumn, maybe one run and then a break, and hopefully we can set her for a Caulfield Cup.” Horse racing news View the full article

Plenty Of Ammo. (Photo by Brett Holburt/Racing Photos) Symon Wilde is eyeing more Group success with Plenty Of Ammo this autumn, with the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) emerging as a potential main target. The lightly raced six-year-old mare had a strong spring campaign, kicking off with an unlucky second in the Listed Paris Lane Stakes (1400m) before claiming victory in the Group 2 Crystal Mile (1600m) at The Valley. She wrapped up her preparation with a ninth-place finish in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) behind Atishu, leaving her career record at an impressive five wins from just eight starts. “We want to win another Group race – the obvious one is to return to The Valley and target the Sunline Stakes, also over 1600 metres against her own sex,” Wilde told Racing.com. “We want to build up and consolidate her record. If she’s flying in her trackwork, then we could come back to racing in the Orr Stakes, but at this stage, my preference is to stay against her own sex.” The Group 2 Sunline Stakes (1600m) on March 22 is shaping as an ideal lead-up to an open Group 1 tilt in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington just a week later. “Everything is on the table,” Wilde added. “I would love to see her get out to 2000 metres at some stage as well.” Horse racing news View the full article

Sam Clipperton. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au Five-time Group 1-winning jockey Sam Clipperton has announced his retirement from race riding at the age of 30. Clipperton, who famously partnered with the Joe Pride-trained Think About It to claim victory in last year’s The Everest, revealed his decision to step away from the saddle via social media on Monday. His final ride took place on December 7 at Rosehill, where he piloted the Les Bridge-trained Scorching Legend, who finished unplaced. In his statement, Clipperton wrote: “After 15 years of race riding, the time is now to pursue other goals, and I am excited for what is in store for the future. “Thank you to everyone who has supported me along my journey.” Clipperton began his career in 2010 and amassed 672 winners. He was crowned champion apprentice in New South Wales for two consecutive seasons, 2012/13 and 2013/14, riding 61 and 81 winners, respectively. Horse racing news View the full article

Niance. Photo: Bruno Cannatelli Trainer Grahame Begg has confirmed that Group 3-winning mare Niance will not participate in the upcoming Autumn Carnival due to an unfortunate setback caused by a paddock accident. The lightly raced five-year-old, a last-start winner of the Group 3 How Now Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield, had been sent for a spell but will now miss potential Group 1 targets in Melbourne and Sydney early next year. “She’s out of play at the moment. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get her up for the spring,” Begg told RSN927 on Monday. “The form’s been absolutely outstanding around her. It’s disappointing, but hopefully everything will be good with her, and we’ll get her back in one piece.” Raced by Ace Bloodstock, Niance has built an impressive record, winning six of her ten starts and amassing nearly $350,000 in prize money. Horse racing news View the full article

‘Everything’s fine’, but Manfred Man remains unsure when his four-time Group One winner will return to the races.View the full article

Steve Asmussen won his unprecedented 19th training title in the recently concluded Remington Park meet and his first-call rider, Stewart Elliott, won his second title in a row.View the full article

This week we head to Cambridge Stud for an in-depth chat with Brendan and Jo Lindsay and we meet everyone’s favourite new foal; the unfortunately named, Mickey G. Guerin Report – Ep. 16, Ft. Cambridge Stud & Mickey G View the full article

Chris Gibbs has exercised plenty of patience with his promising stayer Sweet But Psycho (NZ) (Proisir) and he hopes that can continue to pay off when she contests the Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers Championship Qualifier (2100m) at Ruakaka on Wednesday. The daughter of Proisir is a full-sister to Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) placegetter Aspen Colorado, aspirations her connections shared for Sweet But Psycho, who ended up debuting as a late three-year-old. “Being by Proisir, I wasn’t really sure (what her ideal distance would be), and she was very precocious as a young horse,” Gibbs said. “As she’s gotten older, she’s really chilled out and become a lot more of that staying type of mare that we’d expected. “She’d had a few little niggles and her owners were so patient, obviously we all wanted her to race as a three-year-old like her sister did, but we just didn’t get that result. “Sometimes, it can swing in roundabouts, and I’m hoping since we didn’t pressure her early, we can get that result out of her when she’s older because she is lightly raced.” A deserved reward for the connections came at Te Aroha last month, when the mare won her maiden comfortably over subsequent winner Interplanetary. “Masa (Hashizume) rode her beautifully there and knows her well, I’m happy to have him back on. He’s in such good form, he’s flying recently,” Gibbs said. “The mare has trained on really well, she used to have bad luck with her draws, and she’s drawn the outside here, but thankfully there are only 10 in it, so it won’t make such a big difference and I’d expect her to be very competitive.” Gibbs will be represented by another four runners at his home meeting, with debutant Guipago (NZ) (Tivaci) carrying some special colours in the Hirepool (1400m). Purchased for $16,000 through gavelhouse.com, the son of Tivaci is part-owned by Gibbs’ father Jim Gibbs, who trained 145 stakes winners during his highly-successful career. “He’s probably the horse that I hope to see do well, I have a huge opinion of him,” Gibbs said. “He’s exciting and my Dad has a share in him, which is a good thing because he’s a lucky bugger. I rang him and asked if I could race him in his colours, which you wouldn’t have seen on a thoroughbred or a trotter for a long time, so hopefully he can perform for him. “I’m hoping he’s something a bit special, he’s still green but he’s got endless amounts of ability and the penny hasn’t dropped yet. He’s going to be right in it, he’s an exceptionally nice horse.” Eva Magical (NZ) (Per Incanto) will aim to improve on a strong first-up effort in the Art And Stone (1200m), with her most-recent start for second out of her grade. “She’s drawn nicely, it’s just unfortunate that we’ve had to go into another Rating 60 because there was no maiden 1200,” Gibbs said. “She gets her chance and it’ll be interesting to see how she goes, she’s trained on super well. “She was a funny little thing, I got her off Sam Williams through Gavelhouse and she is a typical Per Incanto, very tough. “She eats like an elephant and for a little sprinter, I have to work her quite hard, which isn’t the way I’d normally train.” Gibbs will revert back to his original race tactics for Pure Delight (NZ) (Darci Brahma) in the Truweld Engineering (1600m), after the mare raced out of her usual pattern at Ellerslie last start. “I take responsibility for that one, watching the earlier couple of races, they were going on-pace, on-pace, and the rail was out which tends to favour frontrunners,” Gibbs said. “With that in mind, I spoke to Sam Spratt about going forward but unfortunately she just had no gate speed and only travelled for a very brief amount of time before they quickened again. Her sectionals weren’t that bad, but she didn’t show that turn-of-foot she showed in previous runs, so she’ll have to be ridden quietly. “She’s drawn quite well which is good, but she’ll be ridden quietly over the mile to be given one run at them. Hopefully we can get a result.” View the full article

Trainer Steve Asmussen won his 19th Chuck Taliaferro Award as Remington Park's leading trainer following the conclusion of the meet over the weekend. Asmussen's assistant, Pablo Ocampo, handles the string at Remington as the pair posted 60 wins during the meet while grossing $1,681,617 in earnings. Asmussen was also the only trainer to win four races on one program this season, accomplishing the quadruple on Springboard Mile Night, the final race card of the meet. He had 16 training doubles this season and also posted one training triple. Asmussen's first-call rider, 59-year-old Stewart Elliot, earned his second straight Remington Park riding title. “I'm fortunate really to win this at this stage of my career,” said Elliott. “When you ride for Steve Asmussen, you always have a chance to win. My agent, Scott Hare, does a great job getting me on all these horses. It's all good. I love it.” Elliot, who rode Smarty Jones (Elusive Quality) to victory in the 2004 GI Kentucky Derby, rode 91 winners this season, 37 more than runner up Floyd Wethy, Jr. Topping the owner's standings was Bryan Hawk who won for the first time with 24 victories, 6 ahead of Dick Cappellucci. His earnings topped $827,000. “That's the easy part, winning it,” said Hawk. “Staying there is a different story. I need to thank (trainer) Joe Offolter and just a lot of people who are behind me, everybody. My farm, they all work their butts off there. This has been a five-year process for me. I couldn't be happier.” The post Asmussen Wins 19th Remington Park Training Title, Elliott Takes Second Riding Title appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

An effort to keep a regular Northern California racing schedule going will end as the board of directors for CARF voted Dec. 16 to not pursue racing dates Dec. 25-June 10 at Pleasanton.View the full article

Horses round the first turn during the running of the Penfolds Victoria Derby at Flemington Racecourse on November 02, 2024 in Flemington, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Racing Photos) Attendance figures and captivating results have highlighted the success of the 2024 Spring Racing Carnival, which drew strong engagement across Victoria. According to official figures released by Racing Victoria (RV), nearly 600,000 people attended the event, held from August 31 to December 1. This represents a 4% increase on 2023 figures and a 17% rise compared to 2022. Key contributors included the Melbourne Cup Carnival, which saw a 9% boost in crowds, and regional race meetings, where six Cup events reported attendance growth of over 20%. Prize money and bonuses awarded to participants also rose, totaling $114.1 million—up from $112.5 million in 2023—further reflecting the carnival’s robust support for owners, trainers, and jockeys. Despite a 7% decline in domestic wagering turnover to $2.73 billion, certain milestones provided optimism. Melbourne Cup Day maintained its strong performance with turnover matching 2023 levels, and the final four Saturdays of November saw year-on-year growth, showcasing the enduring appeal of spring racing. On the track, standout victories added to the carnival’s narrative. Knight’s Choice, ridden by Robbie Dolan, claimed the Lexus Melbourne Cup in a dramatic win. Via Sistina, guided by James McDonald, dazzled in the Ladbrokes Cox Plate, while Harry Coffey delivered an emotional triumph aboard Duke De Sessa in the Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup. RV Chief Executive Aaron Morrison emphasised the carnival’s highlights, stating: “We were delighted with the large number of people who came to the races to witness some unforgettable performances from the stars of our sport this spring. The buzz in the stands was more than matched by the action on the track too, with some incredible storylines headlined by Knight’s Choice’s fairytale victory in the Melbourne Cup.” Morrison also pointed to the carnival’s broader impact, noting its momentum was fueled by strong marketing efforts, media partnerships, and community engagement. Looking ahead, he highlighted a packed summer racing schedule, including Pakenham Cup Day, Boxing Day races, and Super Saturday in January, ensuring racing fans have much to look forward to in the months ahead. Spring Racing Carnival Attendance • A total of 589,272 people attended the Spring Racing Carnival – up from 566,402 in 2023; • The four days of the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington were the highest attended race meetings nationally in 2024 with more than 285,000 spectators through the gates; • The Caulfield Cup Carnival also experienced growth with just shy of 50,000 racegoers in attendance across the three days, representing a 2.7% increase on last year’s crowds; • With capacity restricted at The Valley as the venue undergoes redevelopment, general admission tickets to Cox Plate Day again sold out with more than 20,000 people trackside. • The revamped Grand Final Eve fixture at The Valley proved a huge hit with the crowd up 27% as close to 9,000 racegoers enjoyed Group 1 racing under lights; • The attendance spike at many Country Cup meetings was significant with the Horsham Cup (37.4% increase), Coleraine Cup (31.3%), Benalla Cup (30.2%), Wodonga Cup (29.8%), Kyneton Cup (23.6%) and Hamilton Cup (20%) leading the way; and • Over 2,900 people attended Gunbower Cup Day, the once-a-year Club’s first cup meeting since 2019 after the impacts of COVID and weather had put paid to each edition since. Spring Racing Carnival Wagering • Turnover on the Melbourne Cup was five times higher than any other race in the nation ,attracting $214 million domestically – the fifth consecutive year it has surpassed $200 million. • An 11% decline in free bet turnover, coupled with macroeconomic pressures and favourable results for leading bookmakers, were the key factors in an overall decline across the three months; • Champions Day (Flemington), Caulfield Thousand, Cranbourne Cup Day and Caulfield Spring Finale (Zipping Classic) meetings all delivered increased turnover on Saturdays in November; • Races to enjoy strong year-on-year growth included the relocated Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (up 44.9%), VRC Champions Mile (23.5%) and November’s Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (20.8%), while the Seymour and Kyneton Cups both delivered record turnover; and • The AFL Grand Final public holiday weekend proved popular with racing punters, with the Bet365 Benalla Cup meeting on Friday afternoon up 4.7%, the revamped Friday night fixture at The Valley up 17.3% and Saturday’s Sandown Stakes meeting up a huge 47.6%. Spring Racing Carnival Media • The Melbourne Cup was watched by 1.9 million viewers on Nine’s free-to-air coverage, representing a 12% uplift on 2023; • With the addition of a live broadcast on Racing.com, plus 9Now and other streaming platforms, more than 2.5 million Australians tuned in to watch the iconic race; • Caulfield Cup Day and Cox Plate Day were also warmly embraced by fans off track with 1.39 million and 1.04 million viewers respectively tuning into Seven and 7plus on those days; • Seven’s broadcast of Victorian feature racing throughout the Spring Racing Carnival collectively reached 4.6 million viewers nationally; • Live racing was viewed more than two million times on Racing.com digital platforms across the Carnival with visitors taking in over 15 million minutes of live action; and • The Racing.com Website and App also hosted more than 10 million digital sessions throughout spring, serving for the first time as the digital hub for RV’s spring marketing campaign. Racing • The Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m), won in dominant fashion by Chris Waller’s precocious three-year-old Switzerland, achieved its highest race rating since 2016; • The Cox Plate (2040m) is in contention to claim a place in the top 10 highest-rated races of the year worldwide after Via Sistina’s record-breaking performance; • The three Group 1 races on TAB Champions Stakes Day at Flemington are again expected to figure in the top 50 races globally of 2024 after a trio of stellar performances; • Average field sizes at the metropolitan meetings grew year-on-year to 11.1 starters per race; • Changes to the conditions and prizemoney of the Alinta Energy Crystal Mile (1600m) and Powerflo Solutions Tesio Stakes (2040m) on Cox Plate Day saw both attract 11 runners – up significantly on averages of 6.5 runners (Crystal Mile) and 8.5 runners (Tesio) over the previous four seasons; and • The Schweppes Thousand Guineas attracted 13 runners for a second year in its new mid-November timeslot – up on the average of 11 per year for its last decade in mid-October. Racetrack Highlights • Knight’s Choice’s upset Melbourne Cup win delivered Queensland, ‘singing jockey’ Robbie Dolan and co-trainer John Symons their first victories in the great race. For co-trainer Sheila Laxon it was her second triumph after guiding Ethereal to the Cups double in 2001; • Popular jockey Harry Coffey, who has battled Cystic Fibrosis throughout his life, piloted Duke De Sessa to a heartwarming Caulfield Cup win to claim his biggest career triumph; • Via Sistina’s eight-length romp in the Cox Plate – just four days after dumping James McDonald at Breakfast With The Best – helped her become the highest-rated mare in the world in 2024; • McDonald broke his own Melbourne Cup Carnival record riding 11 winners across the four days at Flemington, including a four-timer on Champions Day; • The rivalry between superstar milers Mr Brightside and Pride of Jenni saw them meet on five occasions in Victoria throughout spring with the former first home on all bar one occasion; • Trainers Enver Jusufovic (Pinstriped – Stow Storage Memsie Stakes) and Gavin Bedggood (Mornington Glory – Moir Stakes) celebrated their first Group 1 victories; • International horses were again prominent with English pair Onesmoothoperator and Sea King victorious in the Ladbrokes Geelong Cup (2400m) and Apiam Bendigo Cup (2400m) respectively, whilst Japanese raider Warp Speed was second in the Melbourne Cup; and • Macedon trainer Liam Howley took top honours in country Victoria with success in the Murtoa (Station One), Tatura (Steal The Sun) and Kyneton Cups (New York Hurricane). Horse racing news View the full article

The 2025 edition of the Aushorse Investor's Guide was released Monday. The annual Investor's Guide assembles the latest information on the Australian industry and is essential reading for anybody involved in racing or breeding globally. “The industry in Australia is in a strong position with the firm foundations of a great funding model and deep support from across society, which is borne out in the number of people here who want to be involved in ownership,” says Tom Reilly, chief executive of Aushorse. According to the Investor's Guide, 1 in every 191 Australians owns a share in a thoroughbred. Additionally, in four of the past five years Australia has hosted more of the top-rated Group 1 races than any other jurisdiction. Also, the country will feature 105 races worth $1 million or more in 2025. In the past racing season, the average race value across Australia was $53,797. To view the complete 2025 Investor's Guide, visit www.Aushorse.com.au. The post Aushorse Launches 2025 Investor’s Guide appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The California Authority of Racing Fairs (CARF) board voted unanimously Monday to rescind a proposed Golden State Racing meet spanning the first half of next year, plunging an already tenuous situation for the horsemen and women in the North of the state into a world of even greater uncertainty. The decision was met with dismay and concern during Monday's online CARF meeting, with several stakeholders in Northern California voicing fears that the move would also jeopardize the future of the California fair meets. “I am in concert with Aidan Butler [1/ST Racing and Gaming president]. We both want racing to continue in Northen California because Northen California is the farm system. If you shut it down, it's just a domino effect. Then in two to three years, racing's done in California,” said CARF executive director Larry Swartzlander, who spoke to the TDN after Monday's meet concluded. Swartlander clarified, however, that 1/ST Racing's advocacy for continued racing in Northern California extended to the fair meets rather than the resumption of Golden State Racing's (GSR) operations. “Do they advocate us reopening GSR? I cannot say that,” said Swartzlander. “If we rectify this business model and historical racing machines come online, sure, we would make an effort to revive racing in the North. But in saying that, we want to work in concert with Southern California too, to make them whole.” The current Golden State Racing meet at Pleasanton concludes this Wednesday. The numbers from the meet have fallen way short of projections made prior to the meet's start. Monday's vote now puts front and center a proposal by 1/ST Racing and Gaming–a business entity under The Stronach Group (TSG) umbrella–to maintain a stabling base at Pleasanton, and for a more suitable suite of races to be carded at Santa Anita to help facilitate NorCal horses. It's a roughly 700-mile round trip from Pleasanton to Santa Anita. 1/ST Racing's proposal, however, is currently short on specifics. Swartzlander said that he expected flesh to be put on the bones of the proposal over the next two or three days. “The bottom lines are, we stay open for stabling and get x amount of dollars per day. You take care of the horsemen. You pay for their vanning. You give them stipends. If anybody wants to relocate there, they would assist them in their costs to relocate their entire stables to Santa Anita,” said Swartzlander. “Those are the generic comments. Aidan [Butler] will probably talk to the CTT [California Thoroughbred Trainers] tomorrow, because everybody has questions about what exactly does that all mean,” said Swartzlander. In a packet submitted before Monday's California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) meeting, Golden State Racing proposed a near six-month meet running from Dec. 26, 2024 through June 8, 2025. For the first three months, the proposal called for racing largely on Saturdays and Sundays only. Currently, Golden State Racing cards a three-day meet weekly, Friday through Sunday. According to the now rescinded proposal, the meet at Pleasanton would have returned to its three-day status at the start of April. CARF's decision to rescind the proposed race-meet for 2025 was made even after owner-breeders George Schmitt and John Harris offered to front Golden State Racing a line of credit to help weather their financial difficulties, said Swartzlander. The $2-million offer by Schmitt and Harris was bound up with legal constraints about how it could be used, if at all, he said. And because it was designed to be used for the proposed 2025 meet at Pleasanton, it can't be relied upon to help fund any possible future Golden State Racing venture. “That money was earmarked for 2025–in other words, to make the 2025 meet whole,” said Swartzlander. “I can't go forward with a multi-million-dollar deficit.” When asked if Monday's vote sounded the death knell to long-term Thoroughbred racing in the North (outside of the fairs), or whether Golden State Racing could be revived at some point, Swartzlander said such an enterprise would be incumbent upon California purses supplemented with revenues from things like sports wagering or historical horseracing machines–a tough ask in a state where the optics of horse racing is already on shaky public footing. “Simply stated, racing cannot continue in California without, and I hate the term supplement, but that's the way it is,” said Swartzlander. “Churchill Downs runs an allowance race for $120,000. Santa Anita run for $58,000. I run for $26,000. Simple numbers.” More pointedly, Swartzlander voiced remorse that Golden State Racing wasn't given more of a chance to find its financial footing, especially as it had to scramble resources together due to TSG's abrupt announcement and closure of Golden Gate Fields. “This was a new business. Every new business gets a business loan to start out. But you only give them three months before you shut them down? Usually they're given at least a year,” said Swartzlander. “The financials didn't support that.” The post Golden State Racing Withdraws License Application For 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

New York State formally began the process of selecting an independent monitor to regularly check on trainer Steve Asmussen's compliance with labor laws.View the full article

C2 Racing Stable, Agave Racing Stable, and Ken Reimer's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) winner Soul of an Angel returned to the work tab Dec. 16 with a three-furlong breeze in :38.18 at Gulfstream Park.View the full article

It's great to see Kenny McPeek heading to California for the GI Malibu Stakes with (GI) Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan. However, it's disappointing that he doesn't have a flight to catch. Instead, he has to travel by van from Louisiana to California. Our industry needs to improve connectivity between the East and West Coasts and the South if we want our racing to survive and thrive. We need to simplify the logistics so that trainers feel more comfortable shipping their horses nationwide. Graded stakes need to be coordinated around favorable flight schedules. Elite pedigrees are built on Graded races. International trade is conducted around Graded races. Graded races are the true measure of excellence. –-Tom Ryan, Managing partner of SF Bloodstock The post Letter To The Editor: Mystik Dan To California appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Friday’s Invercargill – Auckland double header will highlight harness racing action around the country this week. The $100,000 Group 1 Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup and the Group 3 Brendan Franks Farrier David Moss Stakes headline a huge day at Ascot Park before Alexandra Park hosts its first ever $1m Golden Gait meeting. There will be 10 $100,000 races. Invercargill’s meeting will start at 2.55, with Alexandra Park underway at 5.16pm. Today’s Addington meeting to kick start huge week The week starts today with a nine race Tuesday meeting at Addington, starting at 4 pm. One major talking point will be the tight battle for the junior drivers’ premiership. Just two wins separates Sam Thornley (60 wins), Carter Dalgety (58) and Wilson House (58) and all three will be driving at today’s meeting. Thornley has just returned from across the Tasman where he won the Australasian Young Drivers’ Championship over the weekend. While he’s been away Dalgety has had six wins, and House four. Dalgety will have four drives today with Thornley and House having three each. All three will feature in just two races – Race 5 – the Carrfields – For Premium Agricultural Services Mobile Pace at 5.48pm and Race 7 – the Elmwood Trading Co – Voted NZ’s Best Local Mobile Pace (6.42pm) Thursday will see racing at Cambridge, with the week finishing up at Ashburton on Sunday. Equal opportunity for all at Alexandra Park this Friday By Michael Guerin New Zealand’s newest $1m race meeting could also be the most equal opportunity meeting in New Zealand racing history. The Golden Gait brings together a wide array of Alexandra Park regulars at Auckland headquarters on Friday night, with those involved having to have had a certain number of starts there this season to be eligible: six for three-year-olds and older, four starts for juveniles. The meeting has been embraced by trainers and brings together everything from a Taylor Mile/Messenger double winner in Mach Shard to a rating 35 pacing mare like Clouding Over, who has won once in her 39 start career. Add in recent The Velocity winner Better Knuckle Up and Oaks and Queen Of Hearts heroine Duchess Megxit in the three-year-old race and the night hosts both the stars and unknown of the sport. And here is the cool, equal opportunity part: they are all running for the same money. Every one of the 10 races is worth the same amount, similar to the old Jewels concept but this time not only with the elite age group performers but the battlers who get their one shot at a $100,000 chance probably in their life. So while the three-year-old race is the undoubted the glamour event of the night and the higher grade aged pace brings together Sooner The Better, Jolimont and Mach Shard, it will be the two lower-grade aged races, one each for trotters and pacers, where the fairytales are made. Race 2, the Golden Gait Aged R35-46 Mobile Pace (5.58pm) and Race 10, the Aged R38-47 Mobile Trot (9.53pm) bring together the “field fillers” who make Alexandra Park happen every Friday night, some of then even competing in amateur driver races along the way. Some would question the worth of $100,000 races for those horses whose connections would be thrilled to race for $50,000 or even $30,000? But the way they boosted fields week in, week out at Alexandra Park meant more turnover and even some meetings being saved. They deserve their over-inflated shot at the title, the irony being that in both races the combined market value of the horses involved probably wouldn’t add up to the total $100,000 stakes. But that is if you could buy them, which in many cases you couldn’t. They are somebody’s sweetheart, somebody’s family pet. And this Friday night two of them are going to become somebody’s $100,000 race winner. And they will be undoubtedly the two most celebrated races of this new harness racing feature night. To see Auckland’s fields click here First few strides could decide Friday’s Group 1 Invercargill Cup By Jonny Turner The few seconds after the ping of the standing start tapes could prove to be a vital factor in deciding the Group 1 Ascot Park Hotel Invercargill Cup on Friday. Southland’s biggest harness race is a clash of rising stars with the very progressive types like Mo’unga, Rakero Rocket and Pinseeker taking on Republican Party who is one of few seasoned open class veterans in the feature event. Rakero Rocket comes south after a career defining victory, beating Merlin and Don’t Stop Dreaming in the recent Group 1 The Christian Cullen at Addington. Drawing the front line looks at barrier 5 looks a clear advantage for the Tom Bamford trained pacer, who comes south after making an excellent beginning to win his latest standing start, in the Timaru Cup. But before that, the talented four-year-old made mistakes in his two prior stands in the Aged Sales Series Classic at Kaikoura and in the Oamaru Cup. To make his quest for back-to-back Group One wins easier and to assert himself as an open class star, Rakero Rocket’s camp and fans will want to see him make the kind of beginning he made in his Timaru victory. And if he can, the pacer could be dangerously positioned close to the speed, as he was in The Christian Cullen. Mo’unga fans are in the same spot heading into Invercargill’s big day. The Regan Todd trained pacer made good beginnings in every start of his spring campaign before getting things wrong early in his latest stand outing in the New Zealand Cup. Starting alongside just one other rival from the 10m mark in Republican Party, there look few excuses for Mo’unga not to be able to step away cleanly at Ascot Park. And if the pacer can produce one of his best beginnings, as he did in the Kaikoura Cup, he could make up his 10m handicap very quickly and be within striking distance early in Friday’s feature. Charlie Brown brings one of the best recent standing start records to Invercargill having stepped away cleanly in each of his spring outings. To further boost his claims, the Robert and Jenna Dunn trained pacer comes into Ascot Park’s Group 1 on the back of his slashing second in the Group One The Christian Cullen behind Rakero Rocket. The only factor against Charlie Brown looks to be his precarious draw in barrier 9, where he will start directly behind the rank outsider of the Invercargill Cup in Mikey Maguire. But with the four-year-old being the only horse on the second line, there is good hope that driver John Dunn can negotiate a decent early passage forward. To see Invercargill’s fields click here View the full article

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With 'TDN Rising Stars' Sierre Leone (Gun Runner) and Fierceness (City of Light) extending their rivalry into 2025, and the GI Kentucky Derby winner also persevering to a third campaign, there's no denying that the new intake of Bluegrass sires has a fairly bunched look. A cluster of second-tier names can duly compete for mares that might otherwise have favored one of the sophomore leaders, with eight of the 23 newcomers targeting broadly similar budgets between $40,000 and $30,000. Whether that qualifies any of them as “value” can only be guesswork, when history tells us how few of the rookies hyped annually from the rooftops will still be found in Kentucky just a few short years later. But we also know how many commercial breeders nowadays just flit from one rookie to the next, and that this spring will duly be when farm accountants must bank on retrieving their outlay. These stallions clearly being a case apart, once again we're treating them accordingly in this opening instalment of our annual quest for value in the Kentucky stallion market. Thereafter, as last year, we'll be sieving through those horses already at stud, in fee bands, starting with the four-figure bargain basement and working all the way up to the snowline inhabited by Into Mischief and friends. There's limited point rehearsing all the old arguments about the mayfly commercial lifespan of the new sires. Suffice to say that if ever these horses can produce runners, it should be from their first crop–a self-fulfilling consequence of the fact that they typically receive their biggest and best book precisely when charging a fee that subsequently proves, in most cases, to have been terrible value! In a precarious walk of life, you can't blame commercial breeders merely for anticipating demand. The market is instead driven by those at ringside who claim that they are simply giving clients a chance to stumble on a superstar in the making, only accessible because still unproven. That would be a lot more believable if they didn't then ignore stallions whose fees and books are on the slide, without yet having had a meaningful opportunity to show whether they can produce runners; or indeed, if they even rewarded those whose first foals actually shine under racetrack examination. Tiz The Law, for instance, is challenging for the freshman title from with lesser resources than his two rivals–yet his second crop actually slipped a little in sales yield, compared with when he still had a blank slate last year. And the same thing happened, only much more steeply in a couple of cases, to all four protagonists in last year's freshman race. That doesn't mean that such horses can't renew momentum. The point is that people who say they can only hit elite genes by betting on new stallions must explain why, for instance, they temporarily dumped Practical Joke just when his stock had actually begun to offer something substantial to work with. This sire, who otherwise hasn't really missed a commercial beat, averaged just $65,483 with his third-crop yearlings in 2022, despite averaging over $150,000 both before and since; and at a time when he had been surpassed in the class only by Gun Runner, both as freshmen and again in their second campaign. For a certain type of operator, he had presumably served his purpose as one of those high-volume, speed-oriented start-ups; and it was just time to move onto the next model. If farms could rely on more patient support for horses “on the bubble,” rather than a witless stampede to each new intake of rookies, maybe they could also retrieve their costs in less of a hurry. So if you share that consensus that fees are currently way too high-and the incoming lot certainly won't discourage that opinion-then maybe that's because we're not giving farms enough time to pay for their stallions. Never mind. Such is the world we live in, and those playing the longer game–those, that is, baffled that breeding “for the sales” can somehow be different from breeding “for the track”–know that ultimately there should be nothing more commercial than putting a winner under your mare. That being so, way too much investment is being directed exactly where we know it is most likely to fail. But that's precisely why we're treating this crew separately. Today we'll play the same game as everyone else, and try to get lucky finding the one or two who actually go on and make the grade. As ever, however, this whole series remains a wholly subjective exercise. Highlighted stallions will simply happen to have matched one random set of prejudices. You all know your own mare, and what should suit her, physically and otherwise–which should be the starting point for every mating, after all. Fortunately we will also be favoring each band of stallions with the verdict of some far better judges than this one. Overview Of the Intake In a ruthlessly competitive recruiting environment, there's no mistaking the biggest mover among the farms this year. With the great Tapit in the evening of his career, Gainesway has corralled four new prospects–including two of their champion's sons–in the hope of emulating the flying start made by McKinzie. One has found his way onto our Value Podium, but each offers persuasive credentials. It's certainly gratifying that Arrogate, from tragically confined opportunity, managed to produce an additional heir from his final crop in GI Preakness Stakes winner SEIZE THE GREY. He opens at $30,000, a little under another Classic winner by the same sire, Arcangelo, who started last year over at Lane's End. There were ups and downs for Seize the Grey, a familiar experience with horses campaigned by Wayne Lukas, but between them they eked out a resilience that must augur well for this horse at stud. It felt important that he corroborated his elite status in the GI Pennsylvania Derby, and don't forget that he beat Dornoch at Saratoga as a juvenile–not a bad maiden special weight! Dam and granddam are both half-sisters to Grade I winners. Seize the Grey | Sarah Andrew The two Tapits joining their sire at Gainesway both attempted to redress one of the few gaps in his resume with consecutive cracks at the Derby. 'TDN Rising Star' CHARGE IT reserved his most dazzling performance for his next start, a 23-length blowout in the GIII Dwyer Stakes that earned a 111 Beyer. At four he added the GII Suburban Stakes and if his overall record leaves him on the cusp of the elite, he amply demonstrated the functionality of genes branded by granddam Take Charge Lady (Dehere). Those leave him very fairly priced at $12,500. 'TDN Rising Star' TAPIT TRICE returns to his native farm, having been bought as a yearling for $1.3 million by the Charge It team at Whisper Hill (Gainesway retrieving a stake). He was a good-enough performer to win all that back, and more, getting on a roll (GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner) en route to a bumpy ride at Churchill. He took a little time to regroup but did so with a couple of graded stakes this year, and he's out of half-sister to champion Jaywalk (Cross Traffic). Tapit's daughters have had a wonderful year and one who was herself graded stakes-placed extends the legacy through a son entering Spendthrift. Though a six-for-nine winner of $1.5 million, his derailment after a first Grade I success in the Stephen Foster Stakes left a sense that KINGSBARNS was only just retrieving the curve he was following from his GII Louisiana Derby success to Churchill. As a son of Uncle Mo who blazed his way to an $800,000 sale at Gulfstream, he looks assured of systematic commercial support at $20,000. This farm's superpower roster has been further decorated by the two most expensive stallions of the intake. The aforementioned DORNOCH is launched at $40,000, a pretty steep contrast with his brother Mage ($25,000 at Airdrie). In his favor is a record of greater precocity, having completed a juvenile campaign by nosing out Sierra Leone in the GII Remsen Stakes, while he also supplemented his Classic success with another Grade I in the Haskell Stakes. They have obviously made each other's pedigree, and arguably Dornoch has been priced in a way that should help his brother's second book. The addiction to new sires may dictate otherwise, however, and even Mage's historic talent (placing him, remember, alongside only Apollo and Justify) can't prevent Dornoch strictly being credited with the superior body of work. The horse that thwarted Mage in the Preakness, NATIONAL TREASURE, also makes the Airdrie stallion look good value by asking $40,000 at Spendthrift. But National Treasure did stand up to three campaigns at the highest level, and auspiciously only got better where other horses might have started to lose tyres. We can't treat his GI Met Mile romp quite like others in the past, given a change of venue and the flop of his only serious rival. But previously running the Horse of the Year to a nostril in the GI Dirt Mile at the Breeders' Cup should be enough for anyone, and likewise a Peter Blum family that has been developed as skillfully as you would expect. The other farm to have assembled a trio of rookies is WinStar. One can be found on our Value Podium, but on fees it is COGBURN who tops the bill at $30,000. While a witless ride did not assist his quest for a fitting swansong at the Breeders' Cup, he had arrived as one of the most charismatic turf sprinters of recent times. There seem to be no limits on the kind of talent Not This Time can throw, and even on grass nobody will mind tapping into a variant of such unadulterated speed-as famously measured by breaking a minute over 5 1/2 furlongs in the GI Jaipur Stakes. But don't forget that Cogburn had earlier shown what he was all about on dirt, as well. The only thing that might hold him back is the left-field seeding of his family, but we've seen plenty of those come off before. HEARTLAND looks a pure roll of the dice at $10,000. A Justify half-brother to Classic Empire who made $575,000 as a yearling, his 'TDN Rising Star' debut at Del Mar was good for a 90 Beyer. That will doubtless embolden some breeders to salute the next Maclean's Music, especially if they're aiming to hit the precocity pinhook button. Even more plainly than with the rest of these, however, that can only be a matter of hope and not belief. Others starting out at a modest fee include an interesting pair at Darby Dan. Good Magic is quickly doing big things for the Curlin sire-line and his son BLAZING SEVENS fell only cents short of millionaire status, having added a head defeat in the Preakness to his commercially seductive juvenile career (Saratoga debut and GI Champagne Stakes winner). Europeans will discover some heartwarming names deep in the pedigree, but closer up, this is surely a rock-solid market play at $12,500. SHIRL'S SPEIGHT might be more of a risk, as a veteran turf horse, but this is only the latest product of a program that constantly punches above weight. Its focus on pedigree tells in the aristocratic genes accessible at just $5,000 here: Shirl's Speight is out of a Grade I-winning half-sister to both a Grade I winner and a Grade I producer. He has been priced for breeders who prize “run” and you absolutely know that his owner will sooner or later come up with a Shirl's Speight to embarrass rivals sired far more expensively. We all know how hard it is to stand a turf horse in the Bluegrass today. But Oscar Performance has given everyone hope, thanks to a farm that has made a dynamic return to the stallion game. Mill Ridge now adds another really wholesome option in CASA CREED at $10,000. This is the 9-for-36 winner of $2.7 million, who hardly missed a beat across seven campaigns. His record in the GI Fourstardave Handicap alone reads 3311, while he divided four Grade I wins equally between six furlongs and a mile. If people actually want to walk the walk on breeding to soundness and constitution, then they need to get involved with the most venerable horse in the intake. I for one believe in the Creed. Casa Creed | Sarah Andrew While we're on the weeds, MORE THAN LOOKS also looks generously priced on $15,000 at Lane's End. If you operate one of those oddball programs that wants to breed winners, then you'd have to be interested in the turn of foot this dashing animal showed when cutting down an international field in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. He has a solid page and I can see his commercial profile soon being raised by European pinhookers, who would expect to pay a lot more for an equivalent talent over the water. I always thought that DOMESTIC PRODUCT would find his way towards the apex of the crop and Coolmore's industrial model virtually guarantees that he will prove a force at $30,000. The day Fierceness was turned over in the GIII Holy Bull Stakes, I only had eyes for the runner-up, who flashed a ton of raw ability. Though he duly made a Derby bid obligatory, he later thrived with a drop in distance and that speed is going to gain a lot of commercial favor, especially when underpinned by such a striking physique. Admittedly it's not the deepest page, but the genes were demonstrably functional and he would have been an easy fit for the Value Podium. Perhaps closer yet, at $30,000, was the horse who ran Domestic Product so close in the GI Allen Jerkens Stakes this summer. 'TDN Rising Star' PRINCE OF MONACO brings a highly commercial profile to Claiborne, a Bluegrass institution showing a willingness to adapt to a changing environment. This was one of the most precocious juveniles of his crop in California, conspicuously so for a son of Speightstown (in fact, his only Grade I winner at two). And, though confined to a very light sophomore career, he emphatically confirmed himself an elite sprinter. There's more quality in the family than the seeding might lead you to expect, always an excellent sign, and I have heard very good things indeed about his physique. An older-school arrival at the same farm is BRIGHT FUTURE, a Jockey Club Gold Cup winner whose perseverance at five did not really pay off. There's depth to his page, and Grade I-winning sons of Curlin have every right to work out at $12,500. The Three Chimneys team also welcome two newcomers in their quest for another Gun Runner. One is his sons GUN PILOT, who actually did what everyone originally presumed his sire's stock would typically do, by thriving with maturity–albeit he did also contribute to the wider surprise as one of Gun Runner's single-turn flyers. He got his Grade I in the seven-furlong Churchill Downs Stakes and there's a nice mirror between his own family and that of his sire. Obviously people are turning to sons of Gun Runner for affordable access to his genes and it makes sense to have one standing alongside. NEWGATE is seeking a similar niche, as a $20,000 son of another top gun in Into Mischief. He stands over and covers the ground much as you would expect of a $850,000 yearling, and that athleticism carried him to the brink of the top tier. In fact, he got his day in the Grade I sun when scrambling home in the Santa Anita Handicap, before coming home first of the older horses in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Lightly raced sister Denims and Pearls was a Grade II winner this year, and Newgate's looks are going to drive plenty of trade his way. Just as for Gun Pilot, however, the proliferation of rival heirs will make it imperative to capitalize on that rookie vogue. Crestwood did a great job launching Caracaro and now welcomes two equally legitimate prospects. 'TDN Rising Star' STAGE RAIDER is a half-brother to a horse named Justify, and at one stage he threatened to achieve stardom himself. He still showed plenty of talent on his day, and evidently looks the part, so if he's even half as effective as Justify at recycling their dam's genes, then he will need consideration at rather less than half the fee! Stage Raider | Chelsea Durand He starts at just $6,500, in fact, and so does CLASSIC CAUSEWAY, a real collector's item from the last crop of the great Giant's Causeway. Nor is he merely a sentimental hope, as a Grade I scorer who banked over $1.5 million. Some of his adventures after winning the GI Belmont Derby might have dulled attention, but imagine the fee he might have commanded had he quit after his fifth start (all dirt to that point). A Saratoga debut winner placed in Grade I/II company on his two remaining juvenile starts, he had then won both Tampa Bay halts on the road to the Derby. His page is pretty much a non-event until suddenly you come to his dam, who won her first three juvenile starts (two in stakes) in a curtailed career. With a sire like his, stranger things have happened. ANGEL OF EMPIRE meanwhile arrives at Taylor Made on $7,500. Like several in this intake, his family has some unfamiliar seeding while nonetheless, auspiciously, producing some quality on a consistent basis. He has been mildly priced for a GI Arkansas Derby winner who then ran third in the big one–doubtless a consequence of disappearing for a year and a half before his debut in the covering shed. Breeders overcoming recency bias can profit accordingly. After all, all these horses must now start over. Over the years we've been as surprised by the horses that succeed as by those that don't. But here, for the little it may be worth, are three that on paper seem to have as good a chance as any. VALUE PODIUM Bronze: ARABIAN KNIGHT Uncle Mo–Borealis Knight, by Astrology Hill 'n' Dale, $30,000 This looks like a Knight in shining armor for those seeking class underpinned by looks. On the face of it, admittedly, his track career did not suggest old-school substance, confined as he was to six starts in three phases. But he managed to confirm elite caliber within those limits, and his physique will surely embolden breeders choosing among the sons of Uncle Mo competing with their expensive sire. Arabian Knight was a spectacular pinhook, converting his $250,000 Book 1 tag to $2.3 million at Ocala the following spring, where he satisfied one of the best judges of our time. He showed why with a 'TDN Rising Star' debut at Keeneland that fall, and his standing in the Baffert barn was corroborated when he burned them off in the GIII Southwest Stakes. It tells you everything about his charisma that a six-month layoff did not prevent him starting hot favorite against the Derby winner in the Haskell, where a good third set him up to hold out narrowly in the GI Pacific Classic. But his subsequent fourth at the Breeders' Cup reinforced a hunch that he was barely lasting home, and perhaps we barely glimpsed what may have proved his true metier, around a single turn. As he then derailed in a solitary start at four, there are a couple of reasons for suspecting that a more expensive stallion may yet lurk within Arabian Knight. But while his pedigree lends only tolerable support to the package, one way or another it produced a beautiful machine capable of effortless speed. That goes a long way in the commercial market, and Arabian Knight will surely inject brilliance into suitably robust mares. Silver: TIMBERLAKE Into Mischief–Pin Up (Ire), by Lookin At Lucky WinStar, $20,000 On the face of it, this is just another precocious Into Mischief dasher for the commercial market. You know the kind of thing: 'TDN Rising Star' debut romper at Ellis, success in the GI Champagne Stakes sandwiched by a GI Hopeful Stakes second and fourth at the Breeders' Cup; and then just overtaken by a few maturing peers as a sophomore, with a GII Rebel Stakes thrown in to reassure us that the flame still burned. But what sets Timberlake apart is the way his speed and precocity are shored up by the family brilliantly curated by Richard Henry under the Darshaan (GB) mare Jude (Ire). There are things about this page that a Kentucky farm might nowadays almost wish to suppress: such as the fact that Timberlake's dam, by the criminally underrated Lookin At Lucky, won over 14 furlongs on grass; and that the granddam missed out only by a neck in a Group 2 over the same distance, having previously placed in two Classics over a mile and a half. But the bottom line, literally, is that the family under and alongside Jude is one of the deepest in Europe. So while commercial breeders and pinhookers will be glad to recycle the assets that were so conspicuous in Timberlake himself, there's a depth to his pedigree that also entitles him to sire two-turn Classic types. Into Mischief fizzing up a line seeded by Lookin At Lucky, Sadler's Wells and Darshaan really offers the best of both worlds. Timberlake deployed the combination so effectively as a dirt juvenile that he nearly offers a bet to nothing. You'd think he can barely miss, in the marketplace, while appropriate mares would reserve the right additionally to draw from his family reserves that he never quite mined himself. Gold: MUTH Good Magic–Hoppa, by Uncle Mo Gainesway, $35,000 Here's another to have found his way onto our podium via juvenile selection by the great Donato Lanni. Like Arabian Knight, Muth was a knockout pinhook, found deep in the September Sale for $190,000 before making $2 million at Ocala. His position in the Keeneland catalogue acknowledged a compressed page, but that is primarily about brevity of production–he's the first foal of a mare that only produced two registered foals–and beyond that the roots have comforting depth. The third dam is a sister to a GII E.P. Taylor Stakes winner (who went on to produce top-class European juvenile War Command {War Front}) out of a His Majesty half-sister to that wholesome influence Silver Hawk. Irrelevant to many of you, no doubt, but to me that produces a top-to-bottom “stairwell” of seamless quality through the fourth generation. Somewhere in those foundations Muth unmistakably found an elite talent. A dazzling 'TDN Rising Star' on debut, he showed that he hadn't been himself for his stakes debut when proceeding to win the GI American Pharoah Stakes and then beat all bar champion Fierceness at the Breeders' Cup. His wins on the Derby trail notoriously secured no Derby points, but he included the eventual winner among those gasping in his wake in the GI Arkansas Derby and was favorite to beat him again when scratched from the Preakness. Unfortunately the light had gone out when he resurfaced in the fall, but the lasting impression he had made on the track will be underpinned by that special physique. With Good Magic looking eligible to found his own branch of the Curlin dynasty, and backed by a farm showing increasing market aggression, Muth seems guaranteed to generate the momentum vital to any new stallions. Value Sires–New Sires: The Breeders Speak PAUL MANGANARO GOLD: National Treasure (Quality Road–Treasure, by Medaglia d'Oro), Spendthrift, $40,000. By the highly regarded Quality Road, National Treasure is a three-time Grade I and Classic winner. He has great potential to sire good, American Classic-type horses during his career. I believe he is very good value at $40,000. SILVER: Muth (Good Magic–Hoppa, by Uncle Mo), Gainesway, $35,000. Muth is by the red hot stallion Good Magic. I love the Curlin sire line. He is grand-looking and was a $2-million 2-year-old. I love the fact that he is a Grade I winner at two and three and was consistent; winning five of his nine lifetime starts with two seconds. He was at the top of his crop in ability and he's a lot of horse for a fee of $35,000. BRONZE: Newgate (Into Mischief–Majestic Presence, by Majestic Warrior), Three Chimneys, $20,000. At $20,000, you can breed to a Grade I-winning son of Into Mischief with outstanding conformation. He was on the board in eight of his 12 lifetime starts and earned over $1 million. He was quick enough to break his maiden going 5 1/2 furlongs at two and had enough class to win his Grade I going 10 furlongs in the Santa Anita H. BRAD KING GOLD: ARABIAN KNIGHT (Uncle Mo–Borealis Night, by Astrology), Hill 'n' Dale, $30,000 He checks all the boxes for what I like in a stallion. Pure, fast, dirt speed as a 2-year-old is very important for our program and he was jaw dropping in that first start on the Breeders' Cup undercard. He is a fantastic looking horse and he proved in the Pacific Classic he could get the Classic distance. SILVER: Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo–Lady Tapit, by Tapit), Spendthrift, $20,000 Very similar to my top choice, and he was very fast in the 2-year-old sale. Great looks and excelled around two turns. Great value at $20,000. BRONZE: Prince of Monaco (Speightstown–Rainier, by Medaglia d'Oro), Claiborne, $30,000 He was ultra fast at Del Mar as a 2-year-old, and has always been a knockout to look at. The post Kentucky Value Sires For 2025–Part I: New Stallions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

When City Of Troy (Justify) and his entourage descended on Southwell for a racecourse gallop on that feel-good afternoon back in September, it was commented on that the number of racing fans there to see him–thought to be 700-plus–was larger than would usually turn up for a typical day of racing there. The Nottinghamshire track traditionally staged low-grade fare which offered no real prospect of seeing a horse with talent even remotely comparable to that of the Derby winner. It was also commented on that the test provided by the track at Southwell shared no resemblance with that he would encounter when he lined up in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar, especially since the changes to the surface which saw the old fibresand being replaced with Tapeta. That work was completed in 2021, with the first meeting on the new surface being staged in December of that year. Only time will tell whether Aidan O'Brien and the Coolmore partners deemed it a worthwhile exercise. The litmus test will come the next time they have a possible Breeders' Cup contender and whether they choose it repeat it at Southwell, or one of the other all-weather tracks in Britain and Ireland. And even if they choose not to, don't despair Southwell fans, not now that we're witnessing a sea change among Britain's leading trainers and in their attitude towards having runners there in the Tapeta era. Rewind the clock to 2020, the final full year of racing on the fibresand at Southwell, and you had a racecourse that was generally shunned by Britain's best. John Gosden, crowned champion trainer in 2020, saddled only six runners at Southwell all year. William Haggas had three, Sir Michael Stoute had one, and the likes of Charlie Appleby and Roger Varian didn't have any at all. Compare those figures with those for 2024, however, and it's all change. John and Thady Gosden, for example, are operating at a 41% strike rate with 11 winners from 27 runners at the Nottinghamshire track this year, while Haggas has saddled 25 runners, Appleby has had 11 and Varian has had 27. Andrew Balding and Karl Burke, both of whom occupy a top five spot in the trainers' championship, have had 63 and 37, respectively. History was also made in February when the G3 Winter Derby, won by Appleby's Military Order (GB) (Frankel {GB}), became the first Group race to be staged at Southwell, while this year's 1,000 Guineas heroine Elmalka (GB) (Kingman {GB}) is another notable graduate of the track's winter programme, having impressed when making a winning debut in November last year. True, there's no guarantee of a City Of Troy coming to town every year, but there's more reason now than ever to try your luck on one of those cold winter evenings in the hope of seeing something special, such as a blue-blooded Frankel (GB) colt taking his first steps on the path to future stardom… Damysus Delivers for Wathnan on Debut The latest winner at Southwell for the Gosdens was said Frankel colt, Damysus (GB), who became the fourth two-year-old from Clarehaven to make a successful debut in the space of a week when coming clear of his rivals in the second division of the seven-furlong novice on Tuesday's card. Bred in partnership by Newsells Park Stud and Merry Fox Stud, Damysus became the eighth winner from 11 runners out of the G2 Prix de Malleret heroine Legerete (Rahy), with the others including the Listed winners Esquisse (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and Pilote (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}). The latter also filled the runner-up spot in the G2 Prix Eugene Adam and G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano. That pedigree goes some way to explaining why it cost 460,000gns for owners Wathnan Racing to secure him at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. It's a significant sum, no question, though he would almost certainly cost them more today as another of their in-training purchases, with the immense promise of his Southwell debut on show for all to see. Sent off the 8-11 favourite, the flashy chestnut occupied a prominent position through the first half of the contest, before being pushed along entering the final two furlongs. The response wasn't exactly immediate, just taking a few strides to organise himself, but when the motor kicked in he was quickly away and gone, impressing with his strength at the finish as he hit the line two and a half lengths clear of his closest pursuer. That striking display was the second in quick succession at Southwell after that of the Harry Charlton-trained Tremolo (GB) when he opened his account at the third attempt in the first division, for which the final time recorded was 1:30.69, around 2.6 seconds slower than that of Damysus's race. It would be easy to take an even more positive view of Damysus's effort through that comparison, but the difference is that they went no gallop in the early stages of the race won by Tremolo, who was then 0.9 seconds quicker than Damysus through the final three furlongs as he sprinted clear of his rivals to win by two and a quarter lengths. Whereas Damysus has a pedigree which suggests he'll be seen to best effect over middle-distances as a three-year-old, Tremolo seems unlikely to stay too far beyond this trip, being by Bated Breath (GB) and out of the Pivotal (GB) mare Harmonica (GB), who was Listed-placed over a mile for Sir Mark Prescott. That said, Harmonica's three-parts sister, Tiffany (Ire) (Farhh {GB}), is a strong stayer at a mile and a half, last seen filling the runner-up spot in the G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern. Either way, Tremolo looks another promising homebred for the Elite Racing Club to campaign next year, with a quick switch to handicaps likely to be on the agenda now that he's qualified for a mark. Winning start! Pricey Frankel colt Damysus delivers in style first time up at @Southwell_Races for @the_doyler, the Gosdens and Wathnan Racing! pic.twitter.com/qk48B8b34M — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 10, 2024 Saddadd Kicks Off Saturday Card in Style It was a low-key card that Southwell hosted on Friday, featuring a 0-75 nursery as the only two-year-old contest, but it was a different story the next day when both divisions of the one-mile novice threw up winners of significant potential. The first of them was Saddadd (Ire), who represents the same connections as the aforementioned Elmalka and holds a Classic entry of his own in next year's Irish 2,000 Guineas. The trainer in question is Roger Varian, who also masterminded the career of Saddadd's dam, the Listed scorer and GI E. P. Taylor Stakes runner-up Talmada (Cape Cross {Ire}), an increasingly valuable broodmare to owner Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum. This colt is her third runner after the Listed-placed Saleymm (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the Listed scorer Almaqam (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who also pushed the ill-fated Jayarebe (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}) all the way when bringing the curtain down on his three-year-old campaign in the G2 Prix Dollar. It's surely just a matter of time before Almaqam makes the breakthrough in Group company, while the ease of Saddadd's debut success, quickening clear in the final furlong to win by two and three-quarter lengths, suggests he too should be capable of holding his own at a higher level next year. One of 22 winners in Europe from the first crop of Darley stallion Pinatubo (Ire), he is potentially as exciting as any of the others we've seen so far. The overall time clocked by Saddadd was around 2.9 seconds quicker than that of Pinhole (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the winner of the second division, but again that is more likely a function of the funereal gallop they went in the latter contest, rather than one horse being massively superior to the other. Juddmonte homebred Pinhole, a full-brother to the G1 Fillies' Mile winner Quadrilateral (GB), was making his second appearance on a racecourse, having been held back by his inexperience when making his debut at Newmarket in October. In the interim he'd moved from Sir Michael Stoute to Ralph Beckett, so when he ran out an authoritative winner at Southwell, by two and a quarter lengths, he became the 45th individual juvenile from Kimpton Down Stables to win at least one race in Britain in 2024. It's quite the training achievement and the only challenge for Beckett will be trying to chart different paths for them all next year. There's also a question mark surrounding what Pinhole's optimum distance will prove to be given that Quadrilateral was unraced beyond a mile, whereas another sibling by Frankel, Cadogan Place (GB), ran his best race when recently filling the runner-up spot in a Kempton handicap over two miles. He certainly didn't look short of pace at Southwell, anyway. Smart debutant! Saddadd – a half-brother of Almaqam who holds an Irish 2,000 Guineas entry – moves towards the stands-side and scores easily for @varianstable and @Mitchelljack77… pic.twitter.com/lPs9bcZkFe — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) December 14, 2024 Treble Tee Gets Triple Form Boost Simon and Ed Crisford saddled the runner-up in both divisions of that one-mile novice at Southwell–one of whom features as a 'Winner In Waiting' a bit further down the page–but they'd enjoyed better luck at Kempton on Wednesday when Jolly Roger (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) confirmed the promise of his Newmarket debut with a clear-cut win in the second division of the seven-furlong novice. The race probably didn't have as much depth to it as the first division won by Happy Banner (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), but Jolly Roger appeals as perhaps the better long-term prospect, very much the type to go on improving as he gains in experience. His pedigree is an ongoing recommendation, too, as the second foal out of the G2 Lowther Stakes winner Threading (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). Incidentally, the victories of Pinhole and Happy Banner, as well as the runner-up finish of Hidden Secret (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) when he chased home Damysus at Southwell, all paid a handsome compliment to the form of another juvenile from the Crisford yard in Treble Tee (Ire) (Persian King {Ire}). A €55,000 purchase at the Arqana October Yearling Sale, Treble Tee had that trio in his wake when making a winning debut in a seven-furlong novice at Newmarket in October, travelling strongly throughout and gradually asserting in the final furlong to win by two and a quarter lengths. It's clearly a strong piece of form and Treble Tee will be one to look out for when he makes his return to the track as a three-year-old. 5 winners in just 8 days by #PersianKing !!! Bred at Etreham, the debutant TREBLE TEE wins the @astonmartin Novice Stakes over 1400m at @NewmarketRace A great result to cap off an exceptional week! Congratulations to all @edcrisford @SimonCrisford @the_doyler pic.twitter.com/pVsOkTKHGM — Haras d'Etreham (@Haras_d_Etreham) October 23, 2024 O'Brien Dominance at Dundalk Another trainer who has assembled a formidable squad of three-year-old prospects for 2025 is Joseph O'Brien, who continues to juggle life as a dual-purpose trainer expertly, albeit he has significantly reduced his string of National Hunt horses in recent years. The undoubted star among them, Banbridge (Ire) (Doyen {Ire}), has a big day on the horizon as he prepares to line up in the G1 King George VI Chase at Kempton on Boxing Day, but in the meantime O'Brien continues to rack up the two-year-old winners at Dundalk, having celebrated a brace on Wednesday's card before Honeysuckle Rose (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) made it three for the week with a dominant victory on Friday. Honeysuckle Rose was well on top at the finish of that seven-furlong fillies' maiden, passing the post two and a quarter lengths clear of her closest pursuer, six weeks on from her debut in a big-field maiden at the Curragh. This was a big step forward on that effort and it's unlikely that she's reached her ceiling yet for the team at Cayton Park Stud, who bought her dam, the G3 Prix des Reservoirs heroine Melesina (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), for 400,000gns at the 2017 Tattersalls December Mares Sale. Honeysuckle Rose is a graduate of the barrier trials staged at Dundalk earlier in the year, along with stable-mate Sweet Illusions (Get Stormy), who similarly put that experience to good use as she ran out a determined winner of the one-mile fillies' maiden on Wednesday, digging deep to get the verdict by a neck. A $28,000 buy at the Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale, from the family of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up Mubtaker (Silver Hawk), Sweet Illusions sports the silks of Bronsan Racing, who own her in partnership with American bloodstock agent Justin Casse. The Bronsan Racing team have had a handful of horses in training with O'Brien over the last couple of years, headed by the talented dual-purpose performer Nurburgring (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), the winner of the prestigious Galway Hurdle back in August. Last but not least, Spycraft (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) was the other juvenile winner for the team at Owning Hill last week when justifying short odds in the seven-furlong maiden on Wednesday, kicking his career off in the best possible fashion as he asserted close home to win by half a length. Spycraft is the second foal out of the unraced Invincible Spirit (Ire) mare Joie de Vivre (Fr) who, in turn, is out of a Galileo (Ire) full-sister to the multiple Group 1 winners Magical (Ire) and Rhododendron (Ire). Rhododendron, who is also the dam of Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), of course, gained her first top-level success in the 2016 Fillies' Mile, a race won four years later by Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}), the best horse O'Brien has trained until now for owner John Oxley. It won't be easy for Spycraft to surpass her achievements, but he certainly looks an exciting addition to the team. Purchased for 310,000gns at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, he was a successful pinhook for Grangemore Stud's Guy O'Callaghan, who picked him up as a foal for €78,000 at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale. Mission achieved A double for @JosephOBrien2 as Declan McDonogh guides 310,000gns purchase Spycraft (Siyouni) to a debut success @IrishEBF_ | @DundalkStadium pic.twitter.com/SaSuutVVos — Racing TV (@RacingTV) December 11, 2024 Winner In Waiting Dixieland Blues (GB) Invincible Spirit (Ire)–South Sister (GB), by Sakhee Runner-up to Pinhole at Southwell on Saturday, Dixieland Blues was ultimately no match for that rival, but it was to his credit that he pulled five lengths clear of the sole previous winner in the line-up who finished third. It was certainly an encouraging start to his career and he's from a family that the Crisfords know well, having trained his half-brother, Jadoomi (Fr) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), to win the G2 Celebration Mile and G2 Boomerang Mile. Bought for €170,000 at the Arqana October Yearling Sale, Rabbah Racing's Dixieland Blues looks banker material for a similar event next time. The post Winter Watch: Southwell Taking Centre Stage appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Even open heart surgery can't stop Jim (Mattress Mack) McIngvale from what he does best, sell furniture. On December 10, McIngvale, 73, had heart surgery at Houston Methodist Hospital. Describing his condition, he told the TDN that he was in the early stages of congestive heart failure and his arterial valve was not opening and closing like it should. “So they went in and fixed the thing,” he said Monday. “Thank God. The Good Lord is the infinite healer. Now I'm on the rebound. I've been here for six days and I hope to get out in the next two or three days.” Since the day after his surgery, McIngvale has been making posts on X updating his condition. In Monday's Tweet, she spent most of his time talking about a reclining chair he sells, the Mack Zcliner. McIngvale said he has been sleeping in it rather than in his hospital bed. “The (Zcliner) is a great addition to this hospital,” he said. “Not only can I sleep in it, I can sit in it all day very comfortably. It's got heat. It's got massage. It's got lumbar and all sorts of stuff to make you feel better. So thanks to the Mack Zcliner. It is one of great, most valuable players in this quest to get better.” He also pitched his followers on the idea of buying Christmas presents at his store, Gallery Furniture. Six days post-surgery, and I cannot thank you enough for your prayers and kind messages. The Mack Zcliner, which you can learn more about at https://t.co/cGxLivqfuf, has been my recovery partner with heat, massage, and comfort delivered right to my hospital room in just two… pic.twitter.com/eexKqlEIkC — @MattressMack (@MattressMack) December 16, 2024 “It's very important that you go out and buy furniture at Gallery Furniture during the holiday season,” McIngvale said. “We are going to treat you right. We're going to deliver today to make sure you are happy. Gallery Furniture is all about the customer.” He said he's long been a fan of the Mack Zcliner. “I had one of these at home before this disease started,” he told the TDN. “I couldn't sleep laying flat on a mattress. We had this sleep recliner and I decided to try it out and I really liked it. I needed one here at the hospital.” He just can't help himself. “I have to sell something every day,” he said. “I live to sell. I sell to live.” McIngvale said that once he is out of the hospital he won't waste any time getting back to work. “I'm very much looking forward to getting out of the hospital because once I get home I'll be able to go to work a couple of hours a day and get back in the game,” he said. “I love what I do. I love the work.” The post Ever The Salesman, Mattress Mack Promoting Furniture From Hospital appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Aga Khan Studs is pleased to welcome Charlotte Tessier, who has recently joined the nominations team at Haras de Bonneval to provide cover for Fanny Cyprès. A graduate of ESSCA in Angers and a sports aficionado, Charlotte previously spent six years working for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee. Coming from a family of trotting breeders, she is no stranger to thoroughbred racing and is notably the co-breeder of recent Grade 3 winning hurdler Olympic Story. Contact Charlotte for all requests concerning the Aga Khan stallions by email at charlotte.tessier@agakhanstuds.com or by phone at Haras de Bonneval on +33 6 82 45 23 26 / +33 2 31 48 18 60. The post Charlotte Tessier Joins The Aga Khan Studs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal was in Newmarket last week to give an address at the annual Racing Welfare's Christmas Carol Concert at Tattersalls. An accomplished horsewoman and former Olympic eventer, Princess Anne is the president of Racing Welfare and has long had an association with the turf having previously ridden in amateur races. Her speech to the sold-out concert included an overview of the importance of the work Racing Welfare undertakes to support the workforce of British horseracing. The concert raised £4,740 for Racing Welfare's chaplaincy service, which is led by Pastor Simon Bailey, the national chaplain to horseracing. “Everyone at Racing Welfare would like to thank Her Royal Highness, in her role of Racing Welfare President, for attending our Christmas Carol Concert this year,” said Dawn Goodfellow, chief executive of Racing Welfare. “Her Royal Highness spoke so passionately about the importance of community, and the work of Racing Welfare, and it was a wonderful to see so many people joining together to celebrate the festive season while thinking of the needs of others. “I'd like to say thank you to everyone involved in organising, delivering or donating items to the concert and to all those who attended. Also a very special thank you to Penny Taylor, Godolphin UK charities manager, for organising our concerts for the past three years and making such a difference to Racing Welfare in raising awareness of our services and generating much-needed funds.” The post HRH Princess Royal Joins Racing Welfare Carol Concert appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article