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It will be a hugely important weekend for trainer Kenny McPeek as Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) and Mystik Dan (Goldencents) will be in action Saturday at Churchill Downs. Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna will be heavy favorite in the GII Fleur De Lis Stakes, while 2024 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan faces a tough assignment in a loaded GI Stephen Foster S. To talk about the two biggest stars in his barn, his hiring of Jimmy Jerkens and even his new tattoo, McPeek was the Gainseway Guest of the Week on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast Presented by Keeneland. “These horses are doing superb,” McPeek said. “It's been a real honor to be around two horses of such talent level and they've remained consistent. As for Thorpedo Anna, her race is hers for the taking if she'll go back to her previous form, and I expect her to. Mystik Dan's race is a tough race. I mean, it probably is the race of the year. That is really deep water. The horse that comes out of this race victorious is going to be, I would assume, the early favorite for the Classic. They've all got their work cut out for them. For Mystik Dan, it's just been a fantastic month. We feel like we've got a huge chance.” Thorpedo Anna is the horse to beat in the Fleur de Lis and will be the favorite. But what happened to her in her last start when she was seventh as the odds-on favorite in the GI La Troienne S.? “I think she got the breath knocked out of her in that first turn with all the bumping,” McPeek said. “Actually, Johnny Velazquez probably was the most informative about it all. I asked him his take on it and he said that when [Joel] Rosario came over on us, he knocked Torpedo Anna into Dorth Vader and then Dorth Vader hit the rail. And then when she hit the rail, her hind end came back over and broadsided Thorpedo Anna. That was pretty extreme. If she has a similar performance this weekend, I'll be shocked. Horse racing, it's a very humbling business. Right now, she's done everything right, like she's always done. ” Starting with the GI Preakness S., Mystik Dan lost five straight and some of his form was terrible. He looked more like his old self when winning the GIII Blame S. last out. “I think we got too ambitious,” he said. “I'll take the bullet on that. We got too ambitious coming out of the Triple Crown. We thought that the Malibu was a good spot. It didn't look like too tough a race. We actually wanted to showcase him sprinting a little bit as a sire to attract people to him as a stallion. It completely backfired. We really needed to step-ladder him. Training horses is so inexact and it's never black or white, it's always gray.” McPeek is understandably proud of winning both the GI Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby last year. So much so that he got a large tattoo on his right arm honoring the feat, “It's something I'm very proud of,” he said. “If you're gonna get a tattoo, make it represent something that you accomplished. Don't get just some arbitrary tattoo. I decided to do it. And then I started communicating with the tattoo artist and she was great and we kind of put some ideas together. This is something that I wanted.” In our “Fastest Horse of the Week,” segment, which is sponsored by WinStar, we went over the many reasons there are breed to WinStar stallion Nashville. The fastest horse of the week was Vahva (Gun Runner), who earned a 97 Beyer figure when winning the GII Chicago S. at Churchill Downs. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the KTOB, Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association, West Point Thoroughbreds, 1/ST Racing and 1/ST TV, the team of Randy Moss, Zoe Cadman and Bill Finley reflected on the remarkable life and times of Wayne Lukas, who recently announced his retirement due to an undisclosed illness. They also discussed the GIII Ohio Derby and wrapped up Royal Ascot. Another subject was disgraced trainer Jorge Navarro, who was released from federal prison last week only to be turned over to officers from the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which relocated him to a prison of its own in Colorado. Navarro is not a U.S. Citizen and is all but sure to be deported. The team also previewed the big card this Saturday at Churchill where the Fleur De Lis and Stephen Foster are just two of six stakes on the program. To watch the Writers' Room, click here. To view the show as a podcast, click here. The post Kenny McPeek Joins TDN Writers’ Room Podcast, Presented by Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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Fortino (Chi) (Midshipman), winner of the Chilean Triple Crown and the nation's Horse of the Year in 2023, was victorious in China on June 21, taking out a 1600-meter handicap at the Yulong Jockey Club. Drawn one, the chestnut entire raced behind the speed while close up and held his spot at the fence into the final 800 meters. Sent through to challenge nearing the straight, Fortino wrested command and reported home about three-quarters of a length to the good (see below, SC 6). The final time for the contest, worth roughly US$22,000, was 1:37.72. Bred and raced in Chile by the Solari family's Haras Don Alberto, Fortino won five of his six outings at two, capped by a championship-clinching victory in the G1 Alberto Vial Infante over a mile in June 2022. After finishing runner-up in his first two appearances as a 3-year-old, he was elevated to the win in the G1 El Ensayo MEGA at before adding the G1 St Leger–on the dirt–and completing the Triple Crown in the G1 El Derby in February 2023 (video, SC 8). He was named best of his generation for that season as well. Acquired privately by Zhang Yuesheng's Yulong Investments in a deal brokered by Li Wen in early 2023, Fortino was unplaced in two runs at Group 3 level in England for John and Thady Gosden later that fall. Fortino is one of four winners from as many to race out of Farreras (Chi) (Fusaichi Pegasus), a half-sister to treble group winner Facundo H (Chi) (Midshipman) as well as Group 3 scorers Flying Hearts (Chi) (Constitution) and Soy Invencible (Chi) (Mendelssohn). The post Chilean Triple Crown Winner, HOTY Fortino Wins In China appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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A group of horses located in Barn 66 at Saratoga Race Course have been put under a 14-day quarantine by the New York Racing Association and the New York State Gaming Commission due to a positive case of strangles. Tenacious Child (McKinzie), an unraced 2-year-old filly trained by George Weaver and stabled in Barn 66, was tested for a number of potential ailments over the weekend, and a positive test for strangles was returned Wednesday night. In addition to Barn 66, horses under the care of Weaver stabled in Barns 60 and 63 will be monitored for symptoms as part of a precautionary quarantine protocol that will remain in place through Saturday, as directed by the New York State Department of Agriculture. The standard infectious disease protocols implemented by NYRA and NYSGC include restricting access to the horses in the affected barns, establishing a 24-hour security watch, mandating regular temperature checks for the horses in that barn and enacting biosecurity measures for all individuals requiring access to Barns 60, 63 and 66. Horses in those three barns will not be permitted to enter races or train among the general horse population at this time. NYRA is actively working to relocate quarantined horses to an alternate facility where they will have access to isolated training hours. Beyond the quarantine protocols currently in place, NYRA has enacted no additional restrictions over shipping horses in and out of Saratoga. Strangles is a contagious bacterial infection that generally affects a horse's respiratory system and causes symptoms similar to those of strep throat in humans. When properly diagnosed and treated, strangles is not considered a life-threatening infection and horses recover fully. The post Saratoga Barn Under Quarantine Following Strangles Positive appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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The racing Gods looked down and smiled on us at Royal Ascot last week in delivering one of the greatest results imaginable when Joe Murphy and his son – also Joe – landed a breakthrough Group 1 triumph in the Coronation Stakes with Cercene. It was a triumph for the grass roots operators and one that many thought was impossible in this day and age. The Murphys run a high-class but humble outfit on the outskirts of Fethard in County Tipperary. Success over the might of Francis Graffard and Aidan O'Brien with their diminutive daughter of Australia, who measures a little over 15hh with shoes on, is nearly too perfect an embodiment of what has been achieved by this family-run stable. And it doesn't take long to figure out what the whole thing means to them here. “It's only soaking in now,” says Joe snr, before the kettle has even reached boiling point. “I was going through a phase recently, which I can only presume has something to do with my age. I'm 70 now and I was thinking, 'F*** it, I'm after living my life and I've nothing to show for it.' “But now, it feels like it has all been worthwhile. Look at all the good horsemen in the country who work as hard as us but might never get a day like what we experienced last week. All the hard work means something now. I feel like I finally have something to show for it all.” And nobody deserved that Group 1 triumph more than Murphy. Along with Joe jnr, the pair have gone out and sourced the majority of the stable's big-race winners through their own eyes and pockets. Think Euphrasia (Windsor Knot), Swamp Fox (Windsor Knot), Gustavus Weston (Equiano) and Lord Massusus (Markaz) as similarly well-sourced stock that flew the flag with distinction for the Murphys. A €50,000 purchase at the 2023 Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, Cercene is another to add to that list. “We go against fashion and try to find value,” jnr says of the approach to shopping at the sales. “We're not too interested in stallions. It's all about the dam's side because we can't afford to buy good stallions. We buy nice models that look like racehorses. And that's it.” Markaz, Equiano, Bated Breath – you name it. “Don't forget Windsor Knot,” says snr, with his eyes widening at the other end of the kitchen table. “Rossini and Mujadil as well,” jnr adds. “It's down to value. We look at as many horses as we can and, when they're coming at the right price, we try to buy them. When you find yourself going past your valuation in the ring, they are the ones that you really like. Cercene went above our valuation but we loved her.” That initial outlay for Cercene may seem like a drop in the ocean for a Group 1 winner but, when you are sustaining a stable full of 30 to 40 horses and retaining shares like Murphy snr and jnr do, you tend to find a way to make money stretch. To that extent, snr provided a fascinating insight as to how he decides to invest his money at the sales, surmising, 'you don't buy the horse, the horse buys you.' Expanding on that phrase, he said, “You're buying a marriage. You need to do right by that animal for its lifetime when you buy it because you don't have the money to go out and buy another one. That's the art of training. What has half ruined the thing, in my opinion, is the vulgarity of money that is being thrown at it nowadays. It's sickening the game to a certain degree and creating false markets. Some horses are being overvalued. It's crazy. The day trainers go back and buy the horses for their owners will be a good one. It's a stronger bond that is created then. But when the agent buys the horse, it's another person to blame if the horse is no good. Just another excuse. I love looking for new stars at the sales.” “And talking to people,” jnr jokes. “But you have to talk to people at the sales because the people are representations of their horses,” comes the reply. “Oftentimes, the horses are very like the people who sell them. The one thing I am always afraid of is the pinhooker who has no land because the horses are in sheds. When you go training those horses, it's a disaster. There's a reason the same places keep producing winners. Tally-Ho, for example. I remember asking Jack Doyle what was the most important thing when buying a horse at the sales. And, do you know what he said? The vendor's name! The farm and the type of a man who reared the horses are more important than you'd think.” Murphy Jnr and Snr | Racingfotos.com Jnr's role extends far beyond winding up his Dad. The 43-year-old was born just a couple of days after snr sent out £100 purchase Felicity's Pet to win the Thyestes Chase back in 1982. That was one of the first big successes that was sent out from this place and hinted at even greater days to come. Snr recalled, “I started with two horses – Vibrax and Haybob – who had broken down and I got them back going again and won races with the two of them. I was working as an amateur jockey with Francis Shortt at the time and the horses came with me. The next thing, I rode a horse called The Wee Dean at Ballinrobe for Francis and I was only fourth so I got jocked off that horse. Lo and behold, if Francis would have given me the credence of putting up Dermot Weld or Ted Walsh for the next day, I would have accepted it. But he put up the late Brian Grassick instead. I said, 'F*** this, if I'm not as good as Brian, there's something wrong here.' I left Francis after that and went out by myself. “I rode Vibrax to win myself at Thurles – he was my first winner – and I pulled off a gamble on Haybob. I'd a thousand pounds on him at 10-1 and the price never changed. I can remember my father saying, 'if you give me the money you won, I'll guarantee you to buy this place'. That was 1976 and we've been here ever since.” He added, “There's loads of little stories. It's all about people and stories. We started off with jumpers and, people don't know this, but I had Galmoy up to three weeks before he ran. I met Carmel a few years after I came here and we were married in 1980. Then I went on a drinking spree. That didn't go down too well with everyone and we lost a few horses and things like that over it. I had a problem but didn't realise it. I actually believed that you couldn't be successful if you didn't drink. Even back in my father's day, when he used to sell farm machinery, I'd go to the sales as a young lad and if you didn't sell your horse, you'd go into the bar and get him sold there. Nowadays, you sell your horse and you pick up your coat and go home.” Morphing into one of the most respected Flat trainers that Ireland has to offer came a little later. And in no small part through the help of his son. After spending a couple of years studying in Trinity College in Dublin, jnr rerouted his attention to horses and completed the Irish National Stud course before cutting his teeth at Lane's End and Coolmore in America for two years. He has been back at the ranch since 2005 and the pair have enjoyed a steady stream of winners in that time. But that elusive Group 1 success never seemed so far away as in the summer of 2018 when the highly-contagious Strangles disease had the Murphy family contemplating the worst. “I was very grateful for the help of my school friend Aidan Maher who provided us with an isolation yard during that time,” snr remembers. “It was terrible. But not one owner left us. Tom Egan, in particular, was brilliant. He had about six horses with us at the time and you couldn't blame a man if he decided to go elsewhere. But Tom didn't flinch and neither did anyone else. They understood what we were going through. That is only seven years ago now. There was a veterinary clinic set up here for weeks on end as we tried to grapple with it and get over it. One horse brought it in and that was it. The rest of them became infected. I was down €70,000 and I didn't know where I was going to find my next penny. But we took it well. I can remember thinking, 'I could be teaching kids how to ride ponies next year.' That was the alternative. We had land and we had stables so I was thinking of how to generate an income. Pony trekking up the hill sounded nice at the time!” The proposition of this hidden gem of a training centre, that features a seven-furlong round sand and fibre gallop that would rival most racecourses in the country, being reduced to pony trekking was said firmly in cheek. The Murphys are made of different stuff and are a timely reminder of the brilliant horse people that are only begging to be given the chance to showcase their wares on the big stage. They've waited a lifetime for Cercene to come along, moved mountains to sell a share in the filly to Australian owner Shane Stafford in order to facilitate her staying in the yard and now the dream lives on. “There is international interest – from America, Australia and Japan – in Cercene,” jnr admitted. “Shane bought into her to race her and there are other people involved in the ownership as well but we will consider everything because there is a commercial reality to the whole thing. But I'd say she'll end up going to the Sceptre Sessions at Tattersalls at the end of the year. If you've a filly like her, it's the best sale in the world to bring them to. The world market is there and that's what you're worth. But she's come out of Royal Ascot in brilliant form and we have the option of the Irish Oaks and the Nassau Stakes is potentially another target so there's an awful lot of water to go under the bridge before we come to that.” Had Cercene never walked through these gates, and had she failed to respond tooth and nail to Gary Carroll's urgings to take the scalp of Zarigana at Ascot, Murphy snr is right. None of us would be here, sitting around the kitchen table today. But here we are. Horses and people, eh? “I meant what I said when you first walked in here,” says snr, before glancing over at his wife Carmel and son Joe. “I've said it to Tom Egan as well that none of this was any good unless we got a Group 1 in our lifetime. All I wanted was one. I have it now. So I'm relieved. “But I will say this, and it's not just because he's sitting here beside us, but since Joseph has come into it, he has made my life an awful lot easier and I couldn't have done it without him. Joseph has brought it to a new level and it's him who has done all the planning and he's just been…….he's been super at it.” And with that, the tears begin to flow. For once, words fail the Murphy clan. Nobody can bring themselves to look each other in the eyes but everybody knows. This is what it means. This is what it's all about. The post ‘I Was Thinking I’d Nothing To Show For My Life But Cercene Has Made It All Worthwhile’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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3rd-CD, 120K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:43 p.m. The juveniles kick things off at Churchill Downs Friday with a well-bred pair drawn side by side. Widest of the two is MO LAKE TIME (Uncle Mo), the first foal out of the American Pharoah mare Lake Garda who sold for $600,000 to H & R Bloodstock carrying Mo Lake Time in utero at KEENOV in 2022. While unraced herself, Lake Garda is a half-sister to MGISW Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday) and MGISW Executiveprivilege (First Samurai). Bred by Boardshorts Breeding and Racing, Mo Lake Time races for the Flying Dutchman under the tutelage of Brian Lynch. Drawn just inside of her, Sina (Gun Runner) is a daughter of MSW/GSP Sittin at the Bar, making her a half-sister to GISW Alva Starr (Lord Nelson), SW/MGSP Club Car (Malibu Moon), GSW/GISP Cilla (California Chrome) and SW Jack the Umpire (Bodemeister). Furthest out, Teatonic (Yaupon), a $260,000 KEESEP grad for Stoneway Farm, is out of a daughter of MGSW/GISP Stonetastic (Mizzen Mast), also a Stoneway Farm yearling purchase back in 2012. This is the family of MGSIW Gina Romantica (Into Mischief) and Lane's End sire Gift Box (Twirling Candy). TJCIS PPS 11th-CD, 120K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 5:58 p.m. The 3-year-olds close out the card with a race that includes Unitas (Speightstown), a half-brother to GSW/MGISP Medoro (Honor Code) from the family of stakes winner Nashville (Speightstown) and GI Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo (Holy Bull). Notably on the race's also-eligible list is Only Phil (McKinzie), the half-brother to MGSW/GISP Two Phil's (Hard Spun) out of MSW/MGSP Mia Torri. TJCIS PPS The post Friday Insights: Plenty Of Quality In Churchill’s Friday Maidens appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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As usual in the TDN, truth is spoken and of course Mr. McGrath has a part in the truth as well though Dr. Cahill, whom I met at Gainsway, a typical Texan straight talker, but oh so clever, and at no time was it fantasy he purported. I am very grateful for this article of TDN on the 24th of June. I wish that everyone in the breeding world would sit up and take notice when a true giant of his profession teaches us what true values are, and how today it is boundless greed that rules, at the detriment of the breed and a narrowing genetic pool. I wish that the breeders associations worldwide would adapt the common sense that Dr. Cahill proposes. It would also create a new dynamic that those who like to bash our breeding and racing would have to sit up and take notice of. Thank you Mr. Cahill and Mr. McGrath for your usual good read. Gunnar Nordqvist, Breeder The post Letter to the Editor: Dr. Cahill Gives a Lesson. Did Anyone Hear? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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Great British Bonus (GBB) payouts to breeders, owners, trainers, jockeys and stable staff across the country have surpassed £20 million, from nearly 1,500 individual bonuses, after the George Scott-trained Pixie Diva earned a £10,000 bonus with her success at Lingfield last week. The GBB scheme was launched in 2020, with majority funding from the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB), designed to create value and increase demand for British-bred fillies. In 2022, the number of annual individual British-bred fillies running exceeded pre-Covid levels, while GBB-registered fillies sold for an average of £30,000 more than their non-registered counterparts in 2024. Alan Delmonte, chief executive of the HBLB, added, “HBLB is proud to have provided the GBB scheme with funding since inception and has been impressed by the scheme's impact to date. “This year, HBLB provided an extra £1.1 million to extend the scheme to give targeted support for middle-distance and staying Flat fillies and for steeplechasing mares. “This demonstrates HBLB's commitment to support British Breeding and provide incentives for the racing of fillies and mares.” Of the £20 million paid out so far, around £13 million (65%) has gone directly to owners, while breeders have also seen a direct benefit, receiving around £4 million (20%) to date. To mark the fifth anniversary of GBB, along with the £20 million bonus milestone, GBB has gifted five apple trees – “a symbol of longevity, heritage and future growth” – to 20 breeders across Britain. Philip Newton, chairman of the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA), added, “GBB is a success story. It's working, it's growing, and we should be shouting about it. GBB is proving there's every reason to Breed, Buy, Race in Britain – and be proud of it.” The post Great British Bonus Scheme Reaches £20 Million in Payouts appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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After collecting a breakthrough victory in the inaugural Delaware Derby June 14, 'TDN Rising Star' Admiral Dennis (Constitution) will be pointed to the GIII West Virigina Derby at Mountaineer Aug. 3. The Albaugh Family Stables colorbearer sat much closer to the pace than usual in second and drew off in the stretch to score by an impressive 3 1/4 lengths, good for a career-high 95 Beyer Speed Figure. He was previously a frustrating and late-running sixth after losing contact with the field in the GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Feb. 23 and a rallying fourth, beaten three lengths, in the GI Blue Grass S. at Keeneland Apr. 8. “After the Blue Grass, we decided that we were gonna give him 60 days and regroup for the year and see if we could hit some of these summer Derbies,” Albaugh Family Stable's General Manager Jason Loutsch said. “Initially, it looks like it was a good decision to freshen him up a little bit.” Loutsch continued, “The plan was to get him involved early (in the Delaware Derby). I didn't expect him to be that close to the lead, obviously. It was a new dimension. I'm just hoping that he's a maturing 3-year-old that can keep developing and have a great 4-year-old year as well.” Admiral Dennis, one of 77 stakes winners worldwide for leading sire Constitution, is the first foal out of the stakes-winning Gulf Coast (Union Rags), who hails from the extended female family of the legendary A.P. Indy. The $425,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase is trained by Brad Cox. Admiral Dennis was profiled in our 'Second Chances' series following a debut third at Churchill Downs last September. “We've always thought an awful lot of him,” Loutsch said. The inaugural Delaware Derby goes to #3 ADMIRAL DENNIS! A big win by the son of @WinStarFarm Constitution, who is trained by @bradcoxracing for @Albaughstables. @luanmachado85 in the irons. pic.twitter.com/bIBSbiisJm — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) June 14, 2025 The post Admiral Dennis Targeting West Virginia Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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Brant Dunshea, acting CEO of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), has been elected vice-chair of the European and Mediterranean Horseracing Authority (EMHF). Dunshea becomes one of three EMHF vice-chairs and will represent its member countries which are European and outside the European Union, with the others being the Channel Islands, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. He fills the vacancy created when former BHA CEO, Julie Harrington, left that organisation at the end of last year. Dunshea said, “I'm honoured to take on this role and look forward to working with new chair Henri Pouret and colleagues across the region to support the EMHF's important mission and promote collaboration amongst members.” The post Brant Dunshea Elected EMHF Vice-Chair appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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BBC racing commentator John Hunt has vowed to treat life as “a gift” in his first interview since his wife and two of his daughters were murdered in a crossbow and knife attack at their family home. Kyle Clifford, 26, killed his ex-partner Louise Hunt, 25, her sister Hannah Hunt, 28, and their mother Carol Hunt, 61, on July 9 last year. Clifford was sentenced to a whole-life order at Cambridge Crown Court in March after pleading guilty to the murders, while he was later convicted of raping Louise in a “violent, sexual act of spite”. Hannah was able to message her boyfriend and call 999 in the moments before she died in the attack, telling them what had happened and who was responsible. “Police officers of 30 years' experience had their breath taken away by how brave she was, how she was able to think so clearly in that moment, to know what she needed to do,” Hunt told BBC News. Asked if his daughter's actions had saved his life, he said, “That's what I believe. I said it in court and I said many, many times, her doing that has given me life. And I've used that to re-ground myself on a daily basis. “I get to live. Hannah gave me that and I've got to treat it as a gift from her.” Hunt, who was joined in the interview by his surviving daughter, Amy, also explained how he still speaks to his wife and two daughters each day. “From the moment I wake up, I say good morning to each of them,” he continued. “Sometimes I say out loud to Hannah and Louise, 'Girls, sorry I can't be with you, I'm with your mum at the moment'. “As I close my eyes at night, I chat to them as well. So, yeah, [they're] very close [to me] all the time.” Hunt still lives in the family home and said his return to commentary work had helped him move forward in the months after the sentencing. He added, “When it happened, I thought, 'How on earth am I ever going to be able to care about anything ever again?' “It's fine to sit with that thought in the wreckage of what was our personal disaster. But you come to realise that, with a little bit of work, you can find some light again.” The post ‘You Can Find Some Light Again’ – John Hunt Gives First Interview Since Family Murders appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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Simplification (Not This Time–Simply Confection, by Candy Ride {Arg}), winner of the 2022 GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes, will stand the Southern Hemisphere breeding season at Haras Carampangue in Argentina, Turf Diario reported. The 6-year-old, who will shuttle back to Pleasant Acres Stallions in Ocala where he began his stud career in 2024, was brought to Argentina under a partnership between Haras Juan Antonio, Stud RDI, and El Wing. “We were approached by Roberto Vignatti, who really liked the horse and suggested we look into him,” Ignacio Pavlovsky of Haras Carampangue told Turf Diaro. “I watched all 16 of his races and was impressed by his speed, consistency, and durability–he never got an easy trip. We traveled to the U.S. with Endrigo Gennoni to see him in person, and his conformation and his foals blew us away. Then RDI joined in–we already share Ivar–and now the whole group is really excited. He's got the looks, the pedigree–being out of a Candy Ride mare–and I've always loved Not This Time. A new stallion brings fresh energy, and we're all very motivated for what's to come.” In addition to his win in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, Simplification also won the Mucho Macho Man Stakes and was second in the GIII Holy Bull Stakes and third in the GI Curlin Florida Derby before a fourth-place effort in the 2022 GI Kentucky Derby. He also hit the board in the GIII West Virginia Derby and GIII Harlan's Holiday Stakes in 2022 and in the GII Gulfstream Park Mile in 2023. On the board in nine of 16 lifetime starts, Simplification retired with three wins and earnings of $873,110. He stood the 2025 season at Pleasant Acres for $6,500. The post Graded Stakes Winning Stallion Simplification to Shuttle to Argentina appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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Champion jockey Oisin Murphy has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and failing to cooperate with a roadside test, following his involvement in a serious road traffic collision which took place in Hermitage, West Berkshire back in April this year. A statement released by Thames Valley Police on Thursday said, “Last Thursday (19/6) Oisin Murphy, aged 29 of Beales Farm Road, Lambourn, Hungerford, was charged by postal requisition with one count of driving a motor vehicle while over the prescribed limit of alcohol and one count of failing to cooperate with a preliminary test at the roadside. “The charge is in connection with a single vehicle road traffic collision around 12.05am on Sunday 27 April this year when a grey Mercedes A Class left the road and crashed into a tree. “Murphy is due to appear at Reading Magistrates' Court on 3 July. “It is vital that people do not speculate or spread misinformation on social media as this is a live investigation.” Murphy has continued to ride since the incident occurred nearly nine weeks ago, including at Royal Ascot where he entered the winner's enclosure on five occasions. He currently leads the British Flat jockeys' championship in his quest for a fifth title with 49 winners. The post Oisin Murphy Charged with Drink Driving Following Serious Road Traffic Collision appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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The first progeny of Windsor Park Stud stallion Profondo made a favourable impression during the NZB National Weanling Sale at Karaka on Thursday. The son of Japanese super-sire Deep Impact was himself a A$1.9 million yearling and won the Gr.1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) in Sydney as a three-year-old. He commenced his stud career at Windsor Park in 2023 and has served books of 177 and 173 mares in his first two seasons. Thursday’s catalogue featured four weanlings from Profondo’s first crop. They all sold for a total of $250,000, averaging $62,500. They were bred from a $17,500 service fee. Windsor Park Stud sold a Profondo colt out of Shamani for $85,000, while Seaton Park’s colt out of the Lord Kanaloa mare Auntie Condor fetched the same price. Mana Park’s filly out of the Align mare Dwandaofu sold for $70,000. “We’re really happy with how the first Profondo weanlings have gone today,” Windsor Park Stud’s nominations manager Nick Hewson said. “He’s off to a great start. “The colt that we offered ourselves, who was out of a Shamexpress mare, was an outstanding type and attracted plenty of interest leading into the sale. “The exciting thing is that his progeny are only going to get better and better with age, so we’ve got a lot more to look forward to. We’ve been around the grounds and had a good look at all of his progeny that were in this sale, and they’re all great-looking individuals with so much scope. Profondo is a great physical specimen himself and is passing those attributes on to his progeny.” Those sentiments are shared by Paul Pertab, who bought Windsor Park’s colt out of Shamani. “I really liked Profondo’s credentials from the moment he came into the country,” Pertab said. “I went and had a look at him at the stud when he first arrived, and I was very impressed. I thought this colt, albeit at the higher end of the scale for this sale today, was pretty good value at $85,000.” Cambridge Stud’s Sword Of State played a starring role with his first yearlings at Karaka earlier in the year, and he carried on in a similar vein with strong demand for his second-season weanlings on Thursday. Nine of his progeny were sold for a total of $438,500, averaging $48,722 on a $15,000 service fee. View the full article
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Group 3 German Derby Trial winner Juwelier has been added as a wildcard for the Arqana Summer Sale. A graduate from last year's breeze-up sale at Arqana, the Alessandro and Giuseppe Botti-trained colt has confirmed himself a classy performer this season. The Wootton Bassett colt is out of Gravitee, a daughter of Galileo and full-sister to Intello. Juwelier will be sold in absence and will not go through the ring in Deauville. Inspections are available by contacting Alessandro and Giuseppe Botti or with the help of a member of the Arqana Bloodstock Team. The post German Derby Trial Winner Juwelier Added To Arqana Summer Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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Leading owner-breeder Jean-Pierre Dubois will offer more than 100 horses through the ring at the Auctav on Wednesday, August 13. This sale will include foals, broodmares, yearlings and horses-in-training over both codes. “This is a landmark event,” Arnaud Angéliaume, director of Auctav said. “We are honoured to host Jean-Pierre Dubois' private sale. His life is an extraordinary human and professional journey. He has shaped racing genetics in France and worldwide, across both thoroughbred and trotter breeding. His influence is truly unique.” Dubois is without doubt one of the most influential figures in the history of racehorse breeding in France. Originally renowned for his work with trotters, he successfully applied his long-term vision and bold genetic instincts to the Thoroughbred, excelling in both Flat and National Hunt racing across continents. He belongs to the very exclusive club of owner-breeders with Group 1 victories in all racing codes. Among his most famous breeding achievements is Stacelita, by Monsun out of Soignée (Dashing Blade), a six-time Group 1 winner in France and the USA. More recently, Sparkling Plenty, by Kingman out of Speralita (Frankel), confirmed the strength of the Dubois breeding programme by winning the 2024 Prix de Diane, adding another chapter to a legacy built on carefully structured families. Familiar horses that have been associated with Dubois include Noble Truth, Blue Wings, Qualisaga, Red Line, Zonza, Garnica, Othermix, Just Little, Fabulously, Mysterious Lina, Numereius, Super Celebre, and many more. The post Jean-Pierre Dubois To Offer More Than 100 Horses At ‘Landmark’ Auctav Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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Triple Group 3 scorer Maranoa Charlie (Wootton Bassett) has been snapped up by Bond Thoroughbreds in a dreal that was brokered by bloodstock agent Jason Kelly. Maranoa Charlie was last seen running out an easy winner of the G3 Prix Paul de Moussac at ParisLongchamp and it is understood that the three-year-old will remain in training in France with Christopher Head where he will carry the famous black and yellow silks. Part-owner Peter Maher commented, “Good luck to Maranoa Charlie's new owners and we hope they enjoy the horse as much as we have over the past two years. Even though we are known as trader owners, it is never easy to part with a good horse and we should particularly highlight the tremendous work of our French team in the success of Maranoa Charlie.” He added, “Led by Laurent Benoit (Broadhurst Agency) who selected, purchased the horse and finalised the transaction, Alban Chevalier du Fau for his breaking and pre-training, and of course Christopher Head and his great team, as well as Aurelien Lemaitre, who ensured the preparation and added the final touches to the horse to allow him to perform as well on each of his race days. We must also mention the breeder, Haras d'Etreham, who is at the heart of this success as well as Arqana. Now all we have to do is find another Maranoa Charlie.” The post Major British-Based Owner Swoops For Triple Group 3 Scorer In France appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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Little Avondale stallion Per Incanto’s outstanding season carried on in the Karaka sale ring on Thursday, where his weanling colt fetched a sale-topping $190,000 in the opening hour of the NZB National Weanling Sale. Catalogued as Lot 13, the colt is the second foal out of the Shamexpress mare London Express – the winner of seven races including the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) as a late-season two-year-old. The sale-topping colt was offered by Seaton Park and was bought by Australian bloodstock agent James Mitchell, who signed for his purchase in the name of Newgate Farm’s Jim Carey. Bloodstock agent James Mitchell at Karaka on Thursday Photo: Angelique Bridson “We’ve put together a syndicate to buy a few colts to be traded at yearling sales next season, and I thought this was the nicest colt here and my pick of the sale,” Mitchell said. “He’s by a stallion I love, Per Incanto, who’s just going from strength to strength, and he’s out of a running mare. Being a November foal, he’s only going to continue to develop. “He’ll head to Newgate now and spend some time on those Group One-producing hills, and then we’ll prepare him for either the Sydney Easter or Melbourne Premier Sale. I see him as a real Hong Kong type of horse. He’ll have a lot of appeal with that market. Per Incanto has sired a lot of winners there, and being out of a Shamexpress mare, he’s a reverse of the cross that produced Ka Ying Rising.” The colt’s $190,000 purchase price was the second-highest price paid at a weanling sale at Karaka in the last 15 years. Lot 139, a colt by Super Seth out of Queen Leonora Photo: Trish Dunell “It’s a fantastic result and we’re absolutely thrilled,” Seaton Park’s Scott Eagleton said. “The colt was born on the farm and he’s owned by a long-time client of ours. They’ve been with us through all of our 22 years at Seaton Park, and were even a client back in my Fayette Park days. It means a lot to get a result like this for some good Taranaki people and long-time loyal clients. “The interest in the colt was huge leading into the sale. He was always very forward. Pinhookers come to these sales looking for horses that they can improve, and he does have scope to do that, but he’s always just oozed quality. He walks so well and he’s always been a real standout.” Lot 13 was one of two Per Incanto progeny in the National Weanling Sale catalogue. The other, a filly out of the Gr.3 Lowland Stakes (2100m) placegetter Amazing Lady, was bought by Lordof Wingrove Limited for $65,000. Kaha Nui Farm’s Flo Gore, Nicky White and Toby White Photo: Angelique Bridson Per Incanto has enjoyed strong demand with his yearling progeny this season, including averages of A$425,000 in in the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney and A$218,333 in the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. That comes in the midst of a career-best run of racetrack success, headed by Jimmysstar’s triumphs in the Gr.1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) and All Aged Stakes (1400m) and Gringotts’ victory in the Gr.1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m). His current 15th place in the Australian sires’ premiership is the best of his career. “I thought today’s colt was a really nice horse – a beautiful-walking horse and physically strong,” Little Avondale’s Sam Williams commented. “He’ll head towards yearling sales in Australia now and I think he’s a very marketable colt. Per Incanto has had a wonderful year. He’s going to take out the Centaine Award, which is for the leading New Zealand sire by worldwide progeny earnings. To take that title off champion sire Savabeel is a massive feat and something we’re very proud of. Lot 99, a filly by Satono Aladdin out of Blue Rhythmn Photo: Trish Dunell “Per Incanto will serve a limited book this year. I often say I’m married to the best person in the world (Catriona), but my nest-best friend is there next to us in his box at home. We just love him.” Kaha Nui Farm secured two of the four highest-priced weanlings of the day, going to $130,000 for a colt by Super Seth out of Queen Leonora and $120,000 for a Sword Of State colt out of Goldilicious. They also picked up a Bivouac filly for $50,000, lifting their total spend to $300,000 for three purchases. “We’re really happy with the horses we came away with,” Kaha Nui’s Nicky White said. “We managed to get the two colts that I thought were the two nicest colts here, and we picked up a speedy-looking filly by Bivouac as well. We’re thrilled. “They’re the progeny of three exciting young sires. It’s amazing what Super Seth has done on the track lately and there’s a bit of talk about him, so it was great to secure such a nice colt by him today. “The plan now is to take them home, try to turn them into athletes and then take them back to Karaka for the yearling sales in January.” View the full article
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Little Avondale stallion Per Incanto’s outstanding season carried on in the Karaka sale ring on Thursday, where his weanling colt fetched a sale-topping $190,000 in the opening hour of the NZB National Weanling Sale. Catalogued as Lot 13, the colt is the second foal out of the Shamexpress mare London Express – the winner of seven races including the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) as a late-season two-year-old. The sale-topping colt was offered by Seaton Park and was bought by Australian bloodstock agent James Mitchell, who signed for his purchase in the name of Newgate Farm’s Jim Carey. Bloodstock agent James Mitchell at Karaka on Thursday Photo: Angelique Bridson “We’ve put together a syndicate to buy a few colts to be traded at yearling sales next season, and I thought this was the nicest colt here and my pick of the sale,” Mitchell said. “He’s by a stallion I love, Per Incanto, who’s just going from strength to strength, and he’s out of a running mare. Being a November foal, he’s only going to continue to develop. “He’ll head to Newgate now and spend some time on those Group One-producing hills, and then we’ll prepare him for either the Sydney Easter or Melbourne Premier Sale. I see him as a real Hong Kong type of horse. He’ll have a lot of appeal with that market. Per Incanto has sired a lot of winners there, and being out of a Shamexpress mare, he’s a reverse of the cross that produced Ka Ying Rising.” The colt’s $190,000 purchase price was the second-highest price paid at a weanling sale at Karaka in the last 15 years. Lot 139, a colt by Super Seth out of Queen Leonora Photo: Trish Dunell “It’s a fantastic result and we’re absolutely thrilled,” Seaton Park’s Scott Eagleton said. “The colt was born on the farm and he’s owned by a long-time client of ours. They’ve been with us through all of our 22 years at Seaton Park, and were even a client back in my Fayette Park days. It means a lot to get a result like this for some good Taranaki people and long-time loyal clients. “The interest in the colt was huge leading into the sale. He was always very forward. Pinhookers come to these sales looking for horses that they can improve, and he does have scope to do that, but he’s always just oozed quality. He walks so well and he’s always been a real standout.” Lot 13 was one of two Per Incanto progeny in the National Weanling Sale catalogue. The other, a filly out of the Gr.3 Lowland Stakes (2100m) placegetter Amazing Lady, was bought by Lordof Wingrove Limited for $65,000. Kaha Nui Farm’s Flo Gore, Nicky White and Toby White Photo: Angelique Bridson Per Incanto has enjoyed strong demand with his yearling progeny this season, including averages of A$425,000 in in the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney and A$218,333 in the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. That comes in the midst of a career-best run of racetrack success, headed by Jimmysstar’s triumphs in the Gr.1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) and All Aged Stakes (1400m) and Gringotts’ victory in the Gr.1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m). His current 15th place in the Australian sires’ premiership is the best of his career. “I thought today’s colt was a really nice horse – a beautiful-walking horse and physically strong,” Little Avondale’s Sam Williams commented. “He’ll head towards yearling sales in Australia now and I think he’s a very marketable colt. Per Incanto has had a wonderful year. He’s going to take out the Centaine Award, which is for the leading New Zealand sire by worldwide progeny earnings. To take that title off champion sire Savabeel is a massive feat and something we’re very proud of. Lot 99, a filly by Satono Aladdin out of Blue Rhythmn Photo: Trish Dunell “Per Incanto will serve a limited book this year. I often say I’m married to the best person in the world (Catriona), but my nest-best friend is there next to us in his box at home. We just love him.” Kaha Nui Farm secured two of the four highest-priced weanlings of the day, going to $130,000 for a colt by Super Seth out of Queen Leonora and $120,000 for a Sword Of State colt out of Goldilicious. They also picked up a Bivouac filly for $50,000, lifting their total spend to $300,000 for three purchases. “We’re really happy with the horses we came away with,” Kaha Nui’s Nicky White said. “We managed to get the two colts that I thought were the two nicest colts here, and we picked up a speedy-looking filly by Bivouac as well. We’re thrilled. “They’re the progeny of three exciting young sires. It’s amazing what Super Seth has done on the track lately and there’s a bit of talk about him, so it was great to secure such a nice colt by him today. “The plan now is to take them home, try to turn them into athletes and then take them back to Karaka for the yearling sales in January.” View the full article