Wandering Eyes

Mahrajaan will contest the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes (2400m) at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo: Race Images South Proven stayer Mahrajaan remains firmly on target for a crack at the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) despite the weather ruling out an intended lead-up outing. The Shaun Ritchie and Colm Murray-trained chestnut was to have stepped out in last Saturday’s Group 3 Bart Cummings (2520m), but the camp decided to wait a week in the hope of a better surface. “He’s guaranteed a run in the Cup now, he’s 23rd in order and as we know they run 24 so he’s in the race, but we didn’t want to run him if he’s not going to perform to his best,” Ritchie said. “The rain arrived on the day at Flemington and the track opened up, he’s been woeful in the wet in the past and it was an unnecessary risk to run him.” Ritchie is comfortable giving Mahrajaan just one more hit-out ahead of the Cup. “He’s going to run in the Group 2 Herbert Power (2400m) at Caulfield on Saturday and he’s probably not well weighted with 58kg, he’s got a bit more pudding than we would have liked,” he said. “If he can perform well, then having a first Melbourne Cup runner would be fantastic and a great experience for myself and the owners. “He’s an athletic sort of horse, clean-winded and he’s certainly in great spirits. I think his first two runs back in this time have been far superior to his earlier runs over shorter distances.” Placed in both of his domestic outings over 1400m and 2200m at Ruakaka, Damian Lane has been booked to partner Mahrajaan at the weekend. “He needs all of two miles to show his best as he’s proved in the past, so technically the Herbert Power will be short of his best distance,” Ritchie said. “We’ll keep that in mind, but he can’t afford to just follow them around if he’s to justify his place in the Cup, so we need to see him run somewhere near his best.” Mahrajaan’s victories in the Group 2 Auckland Cup (3200m) and Group 3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) emphasises both his stamina and the success of the stable’s first venture to Europe to source a quality distance performer. The son of Kitten’s Joy was purchased for 75,000gns at the 2022 Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale. “The Australian trainers say a lot how long it takes these imports to settle in and this horse exactly the same,” Ritchie said. “I think it’s taken Mahrajaan 18 months to get used to the Australasian style of training and adapt to the environment. “I’m still learning about these things, he’s the first one we got and we got another one from the July Sale who arrived last month. “For him, going from an English summer into a New Zealand spring has been very, very easy but when they leave from England in their winter and arrive out here in the summer it hits them.” Horse racing news View the full article

Right To Party ridden by Jye McNeil returns to the mounting yard after winning the Gilgai Stakes at Flemington. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Jye McNeil is hoping a timely stakes double at Flemington will boost his opportunities this spring. McNeil claimed the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m) aboard Right To Party just hours after guiding debutant Tremonti to victory in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m), bringing his stakes tally for 2024 to nine. “It was great to get a stakes double on Saturday, especially for stables I’ve been doing a bit of work for,” McNeil told Racing.com. “It’s cut-throat, and you’ve got to be in form to get the right amount of rides. “The past only takes you so far; you have to be in form, and clearly I was on Saturday, so hopefully I can maintain that.” McNeil is set to ride Young Werther for trainer Danny O’Brien in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) later this month, with the gelding carrying 52.5 kilograms and rated a $17 chance with horse racing bookmakers after his fifth-place finish behind Via Sistina in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m). “I’ll keep working hard and focus on my weight over the next month, with the weights being so light for the Cups,” McNeil added. “Hopefully he (Young Werther) can strike a firmer track at Caulfield, and I’m sure with 52.5 kilograms and a good draw, he can be thereabouts.” Horse racing news View the full article

Toorak Handicap contender, Antino. (Photo by Brett Holburt/Racing Photos) Trainer Tony Gollan is determined to improve on Antino’s narrow defeat in last year’s Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) as he prepares the gelding for another shot at the Group 1 race at Caulfield this Saturday. “Historically, fourth-up is Antino’s best run,” Gollan told Racing.com. “Last year, he went into the Toorak third-up, hit the front, but the other horse (Attrition) just kicked back and beat us. “He’ll go into this at peak fitness, which I’ve planned on making the difference.” Antino has a strong record fourth-up, with two wins and an unlucky second to Prowess in last year’s Group 2 Crystal Mile (1600m) at Moonee Valley. His recent form includes two thirds behind Mr Brightside in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) and Pride Of Jenni in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m). Gollan was pleased with Antino’s recent efforts. “He brought everything I wanted to see in his lead-in run to the Toorak. “His sectionals were brilliant in the Feehan behind the two stars, and he produced the fastest last 200 metres. I couldn’t have asked for any more.” Blake Shinn will retain the ride on Antino, currently rated a $6 chance with horse racing bookmakers for the Toorak Handicap. Horse racing news View the full article

BH Interview: Joseph LeeView the full article

Tuesday racing continues at Cambridge today with much interest in commanding favourite Captain Sampson in Race 9 at 7.35pm. Successful owners/breeders Alan and Lyn Messenger will also line up three horses at the meeting as they try to extend their winning run. Captain Sampson the one to beat at Cambridge By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Captain Sampson will have something of a NZ Cup Day audition when racing resumes at Cambridge today. The Captaintreacherous two-year-old, who has created a big impression with two wins in just three career starts, was a bit of a surprise inclusion in Tuesday’s fields. But driver Tony Cameron says Captain Sampson’s trainers Brian and Gareth Hughes are doing it with a longer term goal in mind. “They thought he would benefit from another race and thought they’d give him another go this way round before he heads south (to Addington).” It’s not Captain Sampson’s first start left-handed, he was third on debut at Cambridge before winning both his Woodlands Stud Sires heats at Alexandra Park in September. In today’s Melbourne Cup Day at the Raceway Tickets on Sale Mobile Pace Captain Sampson looks a stand out and has backed into $1.45 on the fixed field markets. “There are some older race hardened horses in the field and you have to remember he’s only a two-year-old but looking at it he fits into the race well,” says Cameron. In November Captain Sampson will take on the country’s best two-year-olds in the Woodlands Stud Sires’ Stakes Final on IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup day. While Captain Sampson will be duking it out at Cambridge today many of his Cup day rivals will be racing each other in Friday’s $200,000 NZB Standardbred Harness Million Pace at Addington. That field is likely to include the likes of Marketplace, Rubira and Tact Teva. Cameron, for one, will be looking on from afar. “That one of Regan Todd’s (Marketplace) looks pretty smart that’s for sure.” Cameron is looking ahead to being part of Cup week in Christchurch. “I have never been to Cup week and two years ago I thought I would go to watch but then thought it would be more memorable to drive on the day,” says Cameron, “and that has now come to fruition.” Cameron is enjoying a successful year with 16 wins including his first ever Group 1 victory with Inasinglemoment in May’s Breckon Farms Northern Trotting Derby. Today he has four chances to add his winning tally. In addition to Captain Sampson he’ll also drive Chapel Gate in Race 3, Taco Thursday at the Clubhouse Mobile Pace, and then good each way chances in Regal Girl in Race 6, the Dunstan HorseFeeds Mobile Trot and Inlkouof (for the Hughes) in Race 7, the Betavet Buildagut Mobile Pace. Messengers seek to extend winning run By Barry Lichter Trainer Nicky Chilcott is hoping to extend a remarkable recent roll for Taranaki couple Alan and Lyn Messenger when Vincent’s Girl races at Cambridge on Tuesday night. All three of the horses Chilcott will line up were bred and are owned by the Messengers, with Katie’s Princess and Sheza Mermaid backing up from their wins on the course last week. The first-time double took the Messenger’s tally from White Star to 49, a testament, Chilcott says, to their 25 years of loyalty to the stable. And it continued a hot winning streak in the last six weeks for the couple with wins also by Says Who and Messenger Buoy, all horses they’ve bred themselves. “Alan and Lyn have been amazing,” Chilcott said. “In the early years when they had family and were trying to get ahead they were restricted to having a couple in work. “But since they retired and have a bit more spare money after selling off part of the farm, they’ve given me free rein to bring them into work when I want to. “They just want to enjoy their horses in their retirement and race them where they’re best suited – the stakes don’t matter.” After a hiatus in breeding, the Messengers are back with a vengeance: * Princess Kate, the dam of Vincent’s Girl, Katie’s Princess and Says Who, is in foal to Sweet Lou * Lyn’s Delight, the dam of Sheza Mermaid and Village Rebel, is in foal to Raging Bull and * Their half sister Nice Vintage is in foal to Sweet Lou. Vincent’s Girl ($3.50) may claim only one win from 14 starts but Chilcott is pleased with the way the four-year-old has come up in a new preparation and says she’s her best chance on Tuesday, despite drawing five of six in the fourth race. “She has really good gate speed and I think she can lead and win. That’s why I’ve put Leah (Hibell) on as she’ll get only a three point rating penalty if she wins. “She hasn’t raced for a while, and her form line doesn’t look good, but she’s working really well. She hasn’t trialled but she ran up nicely on Saturday.” Sheza Mermaid ($3.10) is also a good winning chance again in the second race, for amateur drivers. The four-year-old showed true grit to score last week after being unable to cross to the front and having to sit parked. “She does lack high speed but she sure is tough. You think she’s beaten and she keeps finding. I wish every horse tried as hard, man she tries her guts out. “She won’t go a long way but her toughness will win her three or four races. “You can’t knock a horse like that. You can never be disparaging about a horse that’s not that good but tries hard, as opposed to one that has heaps of ability but doesn’t try.” Chilcott says driver Kevin Hall, who helps out at White Star, knows the mare well, which is a big advantage. “Kev won’t let them dawdle round in a middle half of 67 as he knows he can’t drive her for one run.” Chilcott says Katie’s Princess ($5.50) is only a rough place chance in the final race where Sires’ Stakes heat winner Captain Sampson ($1.45) looks a lock. “She won well after leading last week. She hadn’t been getting out as fast as she can so I put full blinds on and told Leah to turn the stick and show she meant business. “The win was penalty free but she lands at the bottom end of the ratings this time, in a R43 to R49 race. “Her gate speed will keep her handy from the inside but she’s a place chance at best.” Chilcott is excited about getting underway again with the Messenger’s best pacer Village Rebel who will line up at Auckland on Friday night. “I was delighted with his first-up run. It’s a little tricky finding good races for him but we’ll head to the country cups again (after his wins last season in the Otaki Cup, Wairarapa Cup and Palmerstonian). “It’s a tough drive up from Taranaki to Cambridge for the Messengers to come too often so I’m trying to get most of their horses down to them, targetting the Hawera meeting (on January 31 and February 2).” View the full article

A half sister to Breeders' Cup star Big Evs is on course to make her belated debut at Wolverhampton Oct. 7, with Queen Of The Roses starting out over seven furlongs in the fillies' novice.View the full article

Horseracing and Safety Integrity Authority chief executive Lisa Lazarus on Monday sent a letter to Alan Foreman, the chairman of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (THA), warning THA members of “potentially significant disruptions” to the industry based on the HISA Authority's interpretation of legal strategies being pursued by the Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (HBPA). With an application by the Authority pending in the United States Supreme Court that would stay a Horseracing and Safety Integrity Act unconstitutionality mandate that has yet to be released by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Lazarus led her Oct. 7 letter by acknowledging the THA's efforts to work with the Authority to improve HISA, “instead of draining industry resources and dollars that would have gone directly in horsemen's pockets to fight it.” Lazarus wrote that the Authority “has been defending itself against claims of unconstitutionality in multiple courts, as the HBPA and others have filed suit after suit in an effort to find a court sympathetic to their arguments. That litigation has forced [the Authority] to spend millions of industry dollars to defend the programs Congress mandated. “Every court has uniformly upheld the constitutionality of HISA's Federal Trade Commission (FTC)-approved rules, but the HBPA's strategy has led to a split among Circuit courts across the country on the enforcement of those rules,” Lazarus continued. “The Sixth and Eighth Circuit courts have ruled in HISA's favor while the Fifth Circuit (covering only the racing states of Texas and Louisiana) has ruled in favor of the HBPA.” A possible decision by the Supreme Court has long been speculated as the final destiny for the 3 1/2-year legal odyssey in which the national office of the HBPA and 12 of its affiliates are trying to nullify HISA as an allegedly unconstitutional law. But before the case gets on the Supreme Court docket, Lazarus wrote that, based on her interpretation of a recent brief filed by the HBPA with the Supreme Court, the HBPA “is planning to ask the federal district court in the Fifth Circuit to unleash total disorder by releasing every individual HBPA member nationwide-not just in Louisiana and Texas-from HISA's enforcement authority.” Lazarus's letter referenced Eric Hamelback, the chief executive officer of the national HBPA, no fewer than seven times while articulating what Lazarus believed to be the HBPA's legal strategy. TDN attempted to reach Hamelback to get his side of the story and to clarify whether or not Lazarus was accurate in her opinions about the HBPA's legal strategy, but those efforts did not yield an on-the-record response prior to deadline for this story. Lazarus explained her opinion this way: “To put it simply, Mr. Hamelback wants to create a system in which his members (HBPA only) can do whatever they want while THA members and all other horsemen not party to his lawsuit will continue to operate under HISA's safety and ADMC rules. That means [THA-member] horses will continue to be tested for prohibited substances while other horses competing against them will have no enforceable restrictions on performance-enhancing drugs and/or medications.” After reviewing Lazarus's letter, TDN spoke to John Roach, the Authority's legal counsel, to ask why the Authority chose now to emphasize the points that it did, and to ask why Hamelback, an individual, was more the focus of the letter than his organization. “Someone's accountable for this legal strategy,” Roach said in a phone interview. “And it seems to me that the letter makes clear that the HBPA and its leadership [are] accountable for the choices that they've made and what they say that they're going to do. I mean, this is what they've said [in legal filings] they're going to do at the Supreme Court.” In her letter, Lazarus wrote only in general terms about how the Authority would respond in court against the HBPA's perceived legal strategy, noting that “HISA will vigorously defend the industry” while remaining “unwavering in our commitment to protect horses, riders, and the future of racing.” TDN asked Roach if he could provide specifics on how the Authority would approach the potential showdown in the Supreme Court. “Obviously we have the stay motion pending at the Supreme Court,” Roach said. “So if that stay motion is granted, that will protect the status quo until the Supreme Court decides [if it will take the overall case]. So that's the first step. “And then the second step, if we [don't] get the stay at the Supreme Court, presumably, [the HBPA] will go and execute on their plan that they [outlined] in their Supreme Court briefing, and go to the federal district court in [Texas, where the lawsuit originated]. At that point, we'll obviously have something to say about the relief that they're seeking,” Roach said. “It's kind of hard to imagine that they believe that their members should not follow HISA in the very states that the Sixth Circuit and the Eighth Circuit ruled that HISA was completely constitutional.” Roach said. “But they say in their brief that that's what they're going to do,” Roach told TDN he wanted to make it clear that the Authority took steps to work with the HBPA on streamlining the path to the Supreme Court, but that the HBPA allegedly did not want to work collectively on that concept. “It's really important for everyone to know that we went to the HBPA and said, 'Look, it's in everyone's interest to get this case to the Supreme Court as fast as possible; everybody believes that the Supreme Court is going to take the case. Let's not get into all this procedural jousting [over the Fifth Circuit stay]. Let's just get the case to the Supreme Court [and] get a decision as soon as possible so that the industry has certainty,'” Roach said. “They rejected us,” Roach said. “Then we said, 'Hey, how about we just let the Fifth Circuit decision apply to the Fifth Circuit, which means Louisiana would [operate under a HISA rules stay from a separate court case] the way it's doing now until the Supreme Court rules, and Texas could start exporting their [simulcast] signal. Everything else would remain the status quo; we'll let the Supreme Court decide.'” Roach said. “That was rejected as well,” Roach added. “And so, the legitimate question is, 'What is the end game here?'” Roach said. “We're set to have total chaos and a three-ring circus. As the letter points out, how are we, as an industry, going to run horse races when some horses are subject to one set of rules and some horses are not subject to any rules in the same race?” Roach said. The post Lazarus Warns HBPA’s Anti-HISA Legal Strategy Would ‘Unleash Total Disorder’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Four years ago, Baoma Corp's Susan and Charles Chu sent their three-time Grade I-winning star filly Bast (Uncle Mo) through the ring at the Fasig-Tipton 'Night of the Stars' Sale. Carrying her first foal by Justify, she brought down the house when she sold to Spendthrift Farm for $4.2 million. This year, the Chus will send two more mares from their distinguished program to Fasig-Tipton's November Sale. Private Mission (Into Mischief) and Eda (Munnings) were both selected by agent Donato Lanni for Baoma Corp's racing stable and they developed into multiple graded stakes winners under the tutelage of Bob Baffert. Private Mission, a three-time graded stakes winner, will be offered at Fasig-Tipton in foal to Curlin while GI Starlet Stakes heroine Eda is carrying her first foal by Justify. Both mares will be consigned by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa on Nov. 4. “We're delighted to have the opportunity this year to offer two mares that were raced by the Chu family,” said Fasig-Tipton's Boyd Browning. “Both of them are just fantastic opportunities–young mares in foal to the right stallions. When you have the opportunity to buy a horse that the Chus raced, you know it was hand-picked. The physicals are going to be just absolutely outstanding when the combination of Donato Lanni and Bob Baffert were involved in the selection process.” “Private Mission was a beautiful filly and Eda was such a good racehorse,” recalled Bob Baffert. “When people are looking to get into the business and want to start out with some top-line mares, with Eda and Private Mission, you're not going to get any better quality than that.” Natives of Taiwan with a company that manufactures GPS navigational systems, the Chus got their start in the racing business just over a decade ago. Susan was the first to get interested in the sport and Charles followed soon after. One of the first horses that Baffert recalls training for Susan was 2013 GIII Southwest Stakes winner Super Ninety Nine (Pulpit). Charles joined his wife in campaigning 2016 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner and Eclipse champion Drefong (Gio Ponti). Bast came along a few years later and their success has continued to grow from there. “They've had so much luck, but they also have so much passion for the sport,” said Baffert. “They love their horses. Any time they sell a horse they're always asking, 'Where is he going? Is he going to a good home?' It's very important to them. I love that aspect of it that the horse comes first for them.” Not only have the Chus made aftercare a priority for their program, but they also focus on competing at the top level of the sport. With Baffert and Lanni overseeing the selection of their stock, the Chus are a consistent presence at the high end of the buying market every year as they key in on top physicals and quality pedigrees. Eda and Private Mission are no exception to that rule. Six-figure purchases with powerful pedigrees, both mares have enhanced their resumes on the racetrack and will offer buyers plenty of opportunity come the Night of the Stars. Private Mission will be offered at Fasig-Tipton November in foal to Curlin | Sara Gordon Out of a stakes-winning daughter of Unbridled, Private Mission was a $750,000 yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale in 2019. “I can still remember the first time I saw her on the sales ground,” recalled Browning. “She was one of the stars of our Saratoga sale that year. Just a breathtaking physical. Absolutely gorgeous, fantastic balance. She also has a fantastic female family. It's the family of Grade I winner Dunbar Road (Quality Road) and great broodmare influences in Unbridled and Alydar. It's a collector's family. Even if she wasn't a great racehorse herself and a great physical individual, she'd be a highly desirable broodmare offering because of her pedigree. The fillies and mares out of that family continue to produce outstanding runners.” A winning juvenile on debut, Private Mission claimed back-to-back scores at three in the GIII Torrey Pines Stakes and GII Zenyatta Stakes, where she defeated future Grade I winner As Time Goes By (American Pharoah). The daughter of Into Mischief added to her accomplishments at four in the GII Santa Maria Stakes. Eda is the only Grade I-winning juvenile filly by Munnings | Sara Gordon “She won half of her starts,” noted her consignor John Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale. “She was a very successful racemare, but as good of a racemare as she was, I think her future is that to be a foundation broodmare for somebody. Those kinds of mares replete with important blacktype, by leading sires, with great physical presence and ample ability, those are the criterion of cornerstone mares. She has every making of a mare that could be a really important producer for somebody over the next decade.” After retiring from racing, Private Mission was bred to Gun Runner. That colt arrived this year before the mare was bred back to leading sire Curlin. Another standout in the sales ring, Eda was a $550,000 2-year-old at the 2021 OBS March Sale. The daughter of Munnings flew to the center stage of her division in California as a juvenile, winning on debut and later getting her first stakes win in the Anoakia Stakes. That two-length score was the first in a seven-race win streak over the next two years that included victories both sprinting and routing in the GI Starlet Stakes, GIII Santa Ysabel Stakes, GII Great Lady M Stakes and GIII Rancho Bernardo Handicap. “Her win streak is almost unprecedented in the world we live in for a filly to be that consistent, that durable and to perform at that level,” noted Browning. “She was a graded stakes winner at two, three and four and she was a joy to watch.” In her victory in the Starlet over fillies like Grade I victress Grace Adler (Curlin) and multiple graded stakes winner Cairo Memories (Cairo Prince), Eda became Munnings's only Grade I-winning filly at two. After retiring at the end of her 4-year-old season, Eda was bred to Justify, who has exploded onto the list of leading sires since last year's Breeders' Cup where he was represented by champions Just FYI and Hard to Justify. This year the Triple Crown winner's top international runners include Breeders' Cup Classic hopeful City of Troy, two-time Group 1 victress Opera Singer and the talented Australian horse Storm Boy (Aus). “What he's doing out there is just amazing,” said Baffert, Justify's former trainer. “Not only was he a magnificent racehorse, but what a sire he has turned out to be. Now he's getting all these great mares, so it's going to be tougher and tougher to find these Justifys.” Browning added, “The success that Justify is having around the world is really unprecedented so this is a unique opportunity to buy a Grade I-winning 2-year-old filly in foal to a stallion of the level of Justify with the physical attributes that Eda has. She'll be one of the stars of the show.” Both Eda and Private Mission have spent their days since retiring from the racetrack at Hill 'n' Dale. For Sikura and his team, parting with these two mares will be bittersweet, but Sikura said that it will also be an honor to represent a program like the one Baoma Corp has built when Hill 'n' Dale offers this pair of stars at Fasig-Tipton. “We've cared for the mares, got them in foal and the guys on the farm are very proud,” he said. “The Chus have bought so many wonderful mares at auction. Their focus is mainly racing and that's the enjoyment for them, so I think the whole world is now getting an opportunity to buy two really spectacular offerings from a highly tuned-in program that annually succeeds and wins Grade I races. We are proud of the offerings and I think they'll really stand out at Fasig Tipton this November.” The post Private Mission and Eda: A Pair of Stars Bound for Fasig-Tipton appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A half-sister to Breeders' Cup star Big Evs is on course to make her belated debut at Wolverhampton Oct. 7, with Queen Of The Roses starting out over seven furlongs in the fillies' novice.View the full article

Trainer Phil Bauer discusses Iroquois Stakes (G3) winner Jonathan's Way's preparations for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Del Mar Nov. 2.View the full article

Steve Asmussen discusses Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) contender Cogburn after a half-mile breeze in :49 4/5 at Churchill Downs Oct. 7.View the full article

Over 150 delegates from 40 different countries heard from key integrity leaders in racing and other major sports at the 58th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA). Held in France at Saint-Cloud Racecourse, the 2024 conference was focused on upholding racing integrity, a key strategic point of the IFHA, and the overall programme examined items of key integrity threats and lessons from previous cases to determine how racing can utilise the most current approaches and techniques to protect the sport. Among keynote speakers was Justice Frank Clarke, the director of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) and former Chief Justice of Ireland, who spoke on the need for robust systems that protect against legal challenges. He also highlighted the vital importance of his “three pillars” of racing integrity–up-to-date rules, sound processes, and independent decision-makers. Other noteworthy developments announced during the conference included the transition of the ARF Council to the IFHA as well as the official release of the IFHA Racing Integrity Handbook. Brian Kavanagh, the IFHA's Vice-Chair, was also honoured upon the announcement of his retirement from the organisation. A replay of the live stream and presentations will be available in the coming days. “Integrity is the foundation on which our sport is built and therefore protecting integrity is essential for the credibility and popularity of our sport,” said IFHA Chair Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, who delivered the Conference's opening and closing remarks. “We have to provide a level-playing field so that our participants feel comfortable to compete. Without the highest standards of integrity, our sport loses the trust and confidence of our customers and other key stakeholders, which then places the existence of our industry at stake. With recent events showing how pervasive integrity threats are nowadays, racing must continue to lead the way in protecting sports integrity.” The post IFHA Announces Key Racing Integrity Developments appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Top turf sprinter Cogburn breezed a "smooth" half-mile in :49 4/5 at Churchill Downs Oct. 7 in preparation for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Del Mar Nov. 2.View the full article

NEWMARKET, UK — A sister to Alpinista (GB)? How about one to St Mark's Basilica (Fr) or Charyn (Ire), or a brother to Hurricane Lane (Ire)? Then there are the first foals, by Dubawi (Ire) no less, of Lady Bowthorpe (GB) and Glass Slippers (GB), or the first foal from Wonderful Tonight (Fr), by Frankel (GB), with those two top stallions accounting for 10 per cent of Book 1 entries between them. Camelot (GB) leapfrogged Dubawi on Sunday to be head of the sires' table for Europe when his daughter Bluestocking (GB) landed her third Group 1 victory of the season in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and Camelot's yearlings on offer this week include Camas Park Stud's full-brother to the Australian Group 1 winner and stallion Russian Camelot (Ire). We know that not all of the best-bred yearlings in Europe will ever leave their breeders but from those who have decided to sell, a glittering array of young potential has been assembled for the next three days. Sire power coupled with enticing bottom lines is on offer at Tattersalls and those names on the catalogue pages have now been made flesh. All those standing their ground for the next three days of sales action – 410 at the last count – are now present and correct at Park Paddocks. In their wake of course come the potential buyers. Kentucky and other racing enclaves must currently be fairly depleted of horsemen and women as the biggest cohort of Americans ever to descend on Tattersalls is in town. Mike Ryan and Chad Brown, regulars at this event and borne back by success, along with Peter Brant, Elliott Walden, Andrew Rosen, David Ingordo and Cherie de Vaux were just some of those spotted on Monday's inspection rounds from a travelling party of around 50. As Ingordo had explained on Sunday, this sale is a must, especially for those American-based owners keen to exploit an expanding turf programme across the States. “Our racing purse money is at a record high and we have a lot of people who want horses and there is a lot of really good grass racing with good prize-money,” he said. “While we have those pedigrees at home, every box here has a lovely pedigree and a horse coming out that can run on the grass. “We have clients that just like to race on the turf. So, while we have our dirt-based clients, if you are looking for these top pedigrees, especially fillies who could turn into broodmares in the future, there's no place else to go other than Tattersalls.” Adam Houghton pointed out in TDN last week that the race to be champion sire of Britain and Ireland is currently too close to call, with Dubawi, Dark Angel (Ire), Frankel (GB) and Kingman (GB) all in the vanguard, and Sea The Stars (Ire), Justify, Lope De Vega (Ire) and Camelot not far behind this leading pack. The offspring of Ballylinch's Lope De Vega are a must-see for American buyers, with his successful runners stateside including Newspaperofrecord (Ire), Aunt Pearl (Ire), Program Trading (GB) and, most recently, Carl Spackler (Ire). All four of those Grade 1 winners were offered during Book 1 in recent years. Lope De Vega is not the only son of Shamardal on the list of noteworthy stallions for Ingordo, however. “I'm interested in Blue Point and Pinatubo,” he added. “Mehmas has done really well over there, and Wootton Bassett and Too Darn Hot also translate very well for America.” That is not the only potential international destination for yearlings from this sale, of course. Many of the major buying teams have been inspecting yearlings since Saturday, even with some seriously good racing taking place over the Channel at Longchamp. Plenty more arrived fresh from Paris on Monday morning. “Footfall has been as good as I've ever known it for this sale, even yesterday, and we've already had a number of French visitors around this morning,” said Manister House Stud's Luke Barry. Joe Hartigan, manager of Croom House Stud, which sold last week's €2m Goffs Orby topper, agreed. “We've been very busy,” he said. “Footfall is very good and we were very busy yesterday. There are a number of new people I've not seen before.” The stud's draft of four for Book 1 includes a pinhooked Pinatubo (Ire) colt, and homebred colts by Too Darn Hot (GB) and Lope De Vega, as well as a Siyouni (Fr) filly. The Too Darn Hot colt emanates from a family which has already put Croom House's name in lights as his winning dam Knocknagree (Ire) is a Galileo (Ire) half-sister to Zoffany (Ire), himself a Book 1 graduate of 2009 who went on to become a Group 1 winner and popular sire. Down in a lovely quiet spot at the back of the Highflyer paddocks, Guy O'Callaghan exuded an air of calm as he watched the aforementioned sister of Charyn stroll back and forth outside the boxes of his Grangemore Stud draft. But then the filly is pretty calm herself and appears to have not just the fact that she is a full-sibling to a dual Group 1 winner to recommend her. “It was a privilege to breed a horse as good as Charyn,” said O'Callaghan of the son of his family's star stallion, Dark Angel. “And it is rare to be able to offer a filly as special as this.” A fellow stalwart of the Tattersalls consignors' list is Richard Kent's Mickley Stud. Indeed, Mickley sold the homebred Havana Grey (GB) here as a foal back in 2015. But it has been a while since the stud has brought a draft to Book 1 and the pair on offer this week includes a daughter of Frankel and the G2 Temple Stakes winner Liberty Beach (GB) (Cable Bay {Ire}), with both mother and daughter having been bred in Mickely's Shropshire paddocks. Kent's son Finn has his first Book 1 pinhook in the draft, too. The gleaming chestnut son of El Kabeir is a full-brother to the Listed winner Masekela (Ire), who was also fourth in the Derby two years ago for Andrew Balding. “He's taken a lot of scoops of feed,” said Kent Jr of his pride and joy. “When we bought him as a foal he was a big horse but he was going through a growing phase at the foal sales and it was probably a bit too much for him at the time. But he's done nothing but thrive since he's been at Mickley and he has always had a kind of presence about him.” A glorious final day of inspections blessed by sun throughout has helped these youngsters shine. Not all will hit their mark and, as we have seen throughout this season, there will be probably be tears of both joy and frustration as the fortnight-long sale progresses into next week. But we can expect a strong start. After all, it's not every day you get to sell a sister to an Arc winner. For Tattersalls, Tuesday is that day, and the appearance of lot 72 in the ring is likely to be one of a decent number of highlights in this elite arena over the next few days. The post Key Players in Place for Tattersalls Book 1 Curtain-Raiser appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Andre Fabre has confirmed that Sosie (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is set to continue his racing career in 2025 following his fourth-place finish in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, with the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot being identified as a likely destination next summer. The three-year-old Sosie was beaten around four lengths behind Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) on Sunday as he attempted to complete a big-race hat-trick following victories in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G2 Prix Niel over the same course and distance. The Wertheimer homebred would have benefited from a sounder surface according to Fabre, who also saddled Sevenna's Knight (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and Mqse De Sevigne (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}) to finish fifth and fourteenth, respectively. “All three are fine after the race,” the trainer summed up. “It was probably the ground which stopped Sosie. He lost his action at the end but he ran okay. We knew he might not like the ground. He will stay in training as a four-year-old and we'll concentrate on the big summer races such as the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and the King George. “Sevenna's Knight ran a good race, but I wasn't surprised because he likes soft ground. He was out the back but ran really well to get where he did. It was what I was expecting–he's a good horse. He is in the Prix Royal-Oak and if he's okay he will run. He'll be happier over that trip–we know he stays it well.” He added, “Mqse De Sevigne's race was over at the start. She was drawn widest of all and lost too much ground. The race was over even before she was hampered. Both her and Continuous were at the back and as the pace was slow they had no chance.” Far East beckons for Fantastic Moon Last year's Deutsches Derby hero Fantastic Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) was also confined to a minor role at Longchamp, with further rain on the morning of the race going against him. Connections had been keen to withdraw their charge due to the testing conditions, but the decision to go ahead and run was made when they were informed that it would cost €55,000 to take him out of the race. “We discussed for a long time if it was right to run him with the rain and we decided after a half an hour that we would not run,” said Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten, the co-founder of the colt's ownership syndicate, Liberty Racing. “I told the press and Sarah went to the stewards, but we didn't have in mind that it cost €55,000 to come out of the race. “It was a 50-50 decision and when Sarah came back from the stewards, we were a little confused, but then Rene [Piechulek, jockey] said 'no, we will run'. It wasn't because of the money, it was a sign for us to say 'okay, we will run'. We decided not to sell him for three million, so it was not about money. Sometimes in life you need a small sign. It was my mistake to confuse the world–forgive me for that!” Fantastic Moon went on to finish ninth behind Bluestocking and options in Japan and Hong Kong will now be considered for the four-year-old who had previously doubled his top-level tally with victory in September's Grosser Preis von Baden. “He's come out of the race very well,” Baumgarten added. “It was not the best ground for him and that was not his A-game, but we had in our minds that perhaps there would be a miracle–that didn't happen. The important thing is he is fit and well and he will run in six weeks in Japan or Hong Kong, perhaps both, but we will not go to the Breeders' Cup.” The post Four-Year-Old Return Planned for Sosie after Creditable Arc Run appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Eight horses have been supplemented to the Fasig-Tipton November Sale. The group, catalogued as hips 301-308, are: Kodiac Green (Ire) (Kodiac) (hip 301), a 3-year-old stakes-placed racing/broodmare prospect consigned by Gainesway, agent. Liquid Amber (Kitten's Joy) (hip 303), a group winner and stakes producer is offered in foal to Not This Time. Her 2024 No Nay Never colt is offered as hip 302. Both are consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent. Omaha Tapped (Omaha Beach) (hip 304), an unraced 3-year-old out of a full-sister to champion Untapable offered in foal to two-time Eclipse Award winner Elite Power and consigned by Hunter Valley Farm, agent. Smith's Point (Bernardini) (hip 305), a full-sister to multiple Grade II stakes winner Lewis Bay and to two other graded stakes winners, as well as to the dam of graded stakes winner Lost Raven. She is offered in foal to Good Magic and is consigned by Mill Ridge Sales, agent. Miss Justify (Justify) (hip 306), is a 3-year-old racing/broodmare prospect who won the Seneca Overnight S. at Churchill Downs in her last start Sept. 21 and is consigned by Thorostock, agent. Imply (E Dubai) (hip 307), the multiple stakes-winning dam of this year's Jerome S. winner and Grade II placed Drum Role Please (Hard Spun). Offered in foal to Good Magic, she is consigned by Ballysax Bloodstock, agent. Dreamfyre (Flameaway) (hip 308), a broodmare prospect who was a graded stakes winner on dirt and turf and a three-time stakes winner at two. She is consigned by Vinery Sales, agent. The Fasig-Tipton November Sale will be held Nov. 4 in Lexington. Bidding is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Supplemental entries to the auction will be accepted through the Breeders' Cup. The post Eight Supplemented to Fasig-Tipton November Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Middle Park winner Shadow Of Light (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) is set to step up to seven furlongs for Saturday's G1 Darley Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, having been supplemented by owners Godolphin at a cost of £35,000. Beaten just once in four career starts, Shadow Of Light is one of eight horses in contention for the premier two-year-old contest in Britain, with the others including stable-mate Ancient Truth (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) as Charlie Appleby seeks a third win in the Dewhurst after those of Pinatubo (Ire) in 2019 and Native Trail (GB) in 2021. Appleby said of Shadow Of Light on X, “The current plan is for him to join Ancient Truth and run on Saturday. We are very pleased with what we have seen so far from him and feel that he has the potential to stretch out to seven furlongs.” Aidan O'Brien is responsible for five of the six remaining entries, headed by the unbeaten The Lion In Winter (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who already heads the ante-post betting for next year's 2,000 Guineas and Derby. He was last seen winning the G3 Acomb Stakes at York, beating the subsequent Royal Lodge scorer Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) (Kameko) by a length and three-quarters. Camille Pissarro (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) has the option of a quick reappearance following his victory in Sunday's G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at Longchamp, while Aftermath (Ire) (Justify) could step back up in grade, having followed his third-place finish in the G2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster with an impressive maiden success at the Curragh. Expanded (Ire) and Rock Of Cashel (Ire), both by Wootton Bassett (GB), complete the possible challenge from Ballydoyle, leaving Hugo Palmer's Seagulls Eleven (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) as the only one of the eight entries not trained by O'Brien or Appleby. Runner-up to Ancient Truth in the G2 Superlative Stakes at the July Course, Seagulls Eleven was last seen finishing third behind Scorthy Champ (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) in the G1 National Stakes at the Curragh. Improving Desert Flower Ready for Fillies' Mile Test Appleby also issued a positive bulletin on Desert Flower (Ire) as she prepares to put her unbeaten record on the line in Friday's bet365 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket. The daughter of Night Of Thunder (Ire) made it three from three when winning last month's G2 May Hill Stakes at Doncaster and her trainer is expecting more improvement from his filly when she steps up to the top level in a race which could also feature the G2 Rockfel Stakes heroine Bubbling (Ire) (No Nay Never) and the unbeaten Group 3 winner Dreamy (Ire) (American Pharoah), both trained by O'Brien. “I'm pleased with her and she's a filly who is three from three,” said Appleby. “Listening to people on the day, I think people thought there was going to be this big 'wow' factor at Doncaster. But she's a filly who is still learning and you saw her pricking her ears there when she got to the front. She's a filly who is going to get better with the more experience she gets and experience is going to become more valuable as she keeps climbing the ladder.” He continued, “She hasn't been beaten, but she had to race a bit more at Doncaster and the odd time they do get beaten they learn plenty from it. When you are heading into Group 1s or Classics, I don't think there is any harm in it. Hopefully on Friday she will put herself bang there as being one of the leading Guineas contenders for next year.” Desert Flower's potential rivals in the Fillies' Mile also include Cheveley Park Stud's homebred Anna Swan (GB) (Almanzor {Fr}), who followed up her debut success at Yarmouth in similarly dominant fashion at Newbury last time. Anna Swan holds an alternative engagement in Friday's G3 Godolphin Lifetime Care Oh So Sharp Stakes at Newmarket and Chris Richardson, Cheveley Park's managing director, is hopeful that this filly could be the one to send trainer Sir Michael Stoute into retirement with yet another big-race success. “It's very exciting and she's in both the Fillies' Mile and Oh So Sharp,” explained Richardson. “We'll be discussing the options with Mrs Thompson [Cheveley Park owner] and Sir Michael in due course and it would be great if she could fly the flag for him in either of those two races. She's in great form and the intention is to run in one of those, all being well.” The post Supplemented Shadow Of Light Features Among Eight Dewhurst Entries appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With €20,000, you could buy a full ISA top-up, a good second-hand car or a fancy kitchen. Or you might spend it on a filly capable of beating the illustrious Inspiral in a Group 1 race at Newmarket. If only it were so simple. On any Arc weekend, the focus is on the mighty breeding operations, the big spenders, the most famous silks. And while Bluestocking's win at Longchamp restated Juddmonte's eternal excellence at the elite end of the bloodstock game, the victory of another filly 24 hours earlier in the Sun Chariot Stakes lit a beacon for dreamers. A €20,000 price tag, syndicate owners and a self-titled underdog trainer who started 10 years ago with one raceable horse: Tamfana had it all, as the David Menuisier stable struck an autumn high for the second consecutive season. 'David v Goliath' is the theme of Menuisier's career – and he likes it like that, as he told TDN in a pre-season interview. “I'm not fashionable – and you have to realise I'll never be,” he said back in February. His calling cards are patience and intuition. He is loyal to his horses and paternal in his pride when they win big. But we all know a trainer is only as good as the bloodstock that is driven through the gates. And in racing, €20,000 is unlikely to buy you a Group 1 winner, no matter how clever the agent (in this case Jeremy Brummitt) or innovative the owners (Quantum Leap Racing). Successful business folk often think they can crack the code in sport. Every now and then somebody actually does. Tamfana's Sun Chariot win is the validation Quantum Leap had been seeking. “We buy around five yearlings each year and, since we started the syndicate in 2017, have produced at least one horse rated 90-105 each year,” their blurb says. “How are we able to do this? Simply, where the market creates a bubble amongst progeny from in-vogue stallions, opportunities for those who are prepared to do the work and follow their own convictions can be found elsewhere.” They're a lively bunch who believe “group-think and a herd mentality” govern the bloodstock trade. More obviously true is that money, power, experience, knowledge and the best bloodlines tend to determine outcomes. Tamfana's career doesn't prove that the big players have it all wrong. But is does serve as a reminder that success at the highest level is not always for those with the deepest pockets. How Brummitt, Quantum Leap and Menuisier came to acquire her is a pleasing tale. Brummitt is a Baden-Baden sales specialist and liked what he saw when this daughter of Soldier Hollow and Tres Magnifique (Zoffany) came up for auction. Tamfana was bred by Gestut Etzean and Hans Helmut Rodenburg. The late Soldier Hollow was a three-time champion sire in Germany. Her pedigree suggested to Brummitt hidden depths of potential. From a debut at Ffos Las in September 2023, Tamfana progressed to become a Group 3 winner (Quantum Leap's first) at Chantilly last autumn. This season she has been a fast-finishing fourth in the 1,000 Guineas, third in the Prix Diane and fourth in the Grand Prix de Paris. Her springboard to the Sun Chariot was a win in Sandown's Group 3 Atalanta Stakes. But everywhere they looked at Newmarket on Saturday, they saw big names, glamorous pedigrees, Group 1 form. “It's great for racing that a small syndicate like Quantum Leap Racing can win against the big operations with a filly that cost little money,” said Menuisier, who may now train her for the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. “She's gone and beat horses by the biggest owners in the world and it is just magic.” Also in the winner's enclosure, Quantum Leap's founder Eamonn O'Connor explained the policy of buying five yearlings a year and turning stock over, with sales to France, Hong Kong and Australia. Like Menuisier, Brummitt works outside the establishment, but had already displayed his judgment when scouting the St Leger winner Masked Marvel and Group 1-winning stallion Russian Camelot. Five months to the day since her frustrating defeat to Elmalka in the Guineas, Tamfana conquered rivals sired by Frankel (two), Too Darn Hot, Kingman and Sea The Stars. As she crossed the line under Colin Keane, something Menuisier said to TDN floated back: “Why should I envy anybody – including those big yards? I can't, because I'm living my best life. I know where I come from, I know how I started, I know I don't owe anything to anybody apart from the people who helped us – and that's that. My aim is to be happy in life. That's all.” In Juddmonte's record-equalling seventh Arc win, and Tamfana's first Group 1 victory, all parts of the sport were reconnected. All the dreamers and schemers, big and small, were as one, for a weekend, anyway. The post Tamfana Team’s Leap to the Top 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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Whitsbury Manor Stud will offer a Frankel sister to 2,000 Guineas winner and joint Champion Two-Year-Old Chaldean at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale. Chaldean himself was purchased for 550,000gns at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale by Juddmonte Farms, where he now stands following a glittering career on the racetrack. Whitsbury Manor Stud's Ed Harper commented, “The Frankel filly out of Suelita is very similar to her brother Chaldean in both shape and quality. She's slightly more forward than he was at the same time as she was born a month earlier. It's very exciting as she is probably the nicest foal we've ever bred.” Suelita is every inch a blue hen. Already the dam of five black-type performers including two sons at stud, with Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes winner Alkumait preceding his Classic winning younger brother to stud. She is also the dam of Listed winner and Group 1 runner-up Get Ahead, who sold for 2,500,000 guineas at last year's Tattersalls December Mares Sale to First Bloodstock. Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented, “The Tattersalls December Foal Sale is the perfect stage for such an outstanding filly foal. It is rare that fillies of this calibre come on the market and as an own-sister to a Classic winner and Champion Two-Year-Old by the peerless Frankel, she is a collector's item. It's an honour to be offering her on behalf of Whitsbury Manor Stud and she will certainly be among the highlights of Europe's premier foal sale.” The post Sister To Chaldean To Be Offered At Tattersalls December Foal Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Young jockey airlifted to Royal Adelaide Hospital after being dislodged from Jacobs Gate at South Australia’s Gawler racecourse.View the full article

New trainer turns to seven-time champion jockey as he takes his first runners to the city circuit.View the full article

Orchestral is set to contest the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) New Zealand’s darling of the turf, Orchestral, is set to cross the Tasman this week to tackle the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday. The four-year-old daughter of Savabeel had a standout three-year-old term, winning five consecutive races, including the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), Group 2 Avondale Guineas and Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), before heading to Sydney, where she won the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) and placed in the Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m). She made her first public appearance this season at the Taupo trials in August, where she placed in her 1100m heat behind Captured By Love and Dream Of The Moon, before heading north to Ellerslie to have her first start as a four-year-old in an Open 1400m, where she finished eighth. Roger James, who trains the mare in partnership with Robert Wellwood, was pleased with what he saw in her resuming run. “I thought her performance was enormous up there. It’s fair to say that she was asked for a fair bit for her level of fitness,” he said. “She came through it pretty well, but she has come forward the last week to 10 days.” Orchestral had an exhibition gallop at Tauranga on Saturday to keep her up to the mark for her looming Melbourne trip, and James was pleased with her work. “I am very happy,” he said. “I thought that was a sign that we are right on the button for where we want to be. “All going well, she will be on a plane on Wednesday and run in the Toorak on Saturday.” Horse racing news View the full article

Bjorn Baker is set to have a strong hand in the A$1.5 million Listed Alan Brown Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill with his team spearheaded by two-time New Zealand Group One winner Belclare (NZ) (Per Incanto). Baker has nominated five horses for Saturday’s 1400m race and believes it shapes as an ideal target for Belclare, who has been kept up to the mark with a barrier trial fourth behind stablemate Overpass (Vancouver) since her Australian debut in the Gr.2 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) last month. “She trialled brilliantly on Friday, she is going to have an easy gallop tomorrow (Tuesday) and we’re really excited about her,” Baker said. “She is already a dual Group One winner in New Zealand and from what we’ve seen, we couldn’t be happier with her. “She gets into a handicap race, she probably gets in with an OK weight, touch wood, and she is a high-class mare.” Belclere led at a strong tempo when fifth to Sunshine In Paris (Invader) in the Sheraco Stakes but seven of her 11 career-wins have been over 1400m. Baker said the mare had genuine excuses first-up and with Rachel King going on stablemate Iknowastar (Star Witness) in the Alan Brown, Tyler Schiller will take over the steering. “It just didn’t quite work out that day. The saddle slipped slightly, and I think she will be better with another trial and a few weeks between runs,” Baker said. Iknowastar resumes in the Alan Brown Stakes following a consistent late-season campaign in which he managed a top-three finish in all seven runs, including a trio at black-type level. While he hasn’t won first-up, he has looked sharp in his two trial wins and Baker says he has a strong fitness foundation. “He’s trialled very, very well and he’s ready to run a race too. He has come back in great order,” he said. “He performed really well last preparation, so I’m looking forward to him going there with a good weight. He is definitely a chance.” View the full article

New Zealand’s darling of the turf Orchestral is set to cross the Tasman this week to tackle the Gr.1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday. The four-year-old daughter of Savabeel had a standout three-year-old term, winning five consecutive races, including the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), Gr.2 Avondale Guineas and Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), before heading to Sydney where she won the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) and placed in the Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m). She made her first public appearance this season at the Taupo trials in August where she placed in her 1100m heat behind Captured By Love and Dream Of The Moon, before heading north to Ellerslie to have her first start as a four-year-old in an Open 1400m where she finished eighth. Roger James, who trains the mare in partnership with Robert Wellwood, was pleased with what he saw in her resuming run. “I thought her performance was enormous up there. It’s fair to say that she was asked for a fair bit for her level of fitness,” he said. “She came through it pretty well, but she has come forward the last week to 10 days.” Orchestral had an exhibition gallop at Tauranga on Saturday to keep her up to the mark for her looming Melbourne trip, and James was pleased with her work. “I am very happy,” he said. “I thought that was a sign that we are right on the button for where we want to be. “All going well, she will be on a plane on Wednesday and run in the Toorak on Saturday.” View the full article